RWBY: Final Judgement
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: He took the path of Anarchy. He slain his friends to create a new world. He dragged YHVH from his throne and defeated him. But due to a last ditch effort from a sore loser, he was cast out from his world into a new one. A world that has been reduced to mere Remnants. What will you do, Salem, now that a Godslayer has come to this world?
1. Chapter 1

_...vi veri veniversum vivus vici..._  
 **...by the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe...**

* * *

RWBY: Final Judgment

* * *

interludium I: Of Godslayers and Dust

It was a mysterious thing, fate. It was something no one could fully comprehend, nor understand. It was like an unseen force, a power beyond anyone's control. Perhaps it would be accurate to consider it a wheel. A wheel that continues to spin, without falter. The first time he knew fate existed was when he was born into a cruel, unforgiving world that was trapped underneath a bedrock ceiling. The second was when he had died, and found himself in the service of a god. The third was when he found himself in the crossfire between angels, demons, and gods.

Finally, he knew fate was a cruel thing. Though, perhaps, by some chance of circumstance from his meeting with the god who revived him, it was by his own actions that led him down this path.

The path of becoming a Godslayer.

 ** _"Heh...what a pitiful sight you are, YHVH,"_** Dagda spoke from within Nanashi's smartphone. Even though he wasn't here, the young Hunter could see the menacing smirk on his skull-like face, green eyes dancing with delight. _**"Once, you were a golden paragon of power...now, your the same as the rest of the beings you have your so-called angels declare war on. A pitiful, disgusting demon. How the mighty have fallen, eh?"**_

 **"YOU...HOW...DARE YOU...YOU WRETCHED CUR...?!"** The Being once known as "God" glared scornfully. No longer did he possess his illustrious, omnipotent form. From the denials of his preachings of forgiveness, benevolence, fairness, freedom, purity, and compassion...he was dragged down from his Throne. He was nothing more than a Demon now...

Once, he was a sea of golden heads in the black abyss. Now, he had been degraded into a winged serpent surrounded by scathing, wretched blue flames, sporting several heads. From within the flames on his body, a silhouette of a humanoid being, with a face set into utter rage and fury, glared down at Nanashi.

The boy wasn't exactly unscathed by the assault. His body was torn apart and covered in slash marks. His green attire was nearly left in shreds and tatters. His sword was cracked. He must have died several times at the hands of YHVH, only for Dagda to resurrect him for each time he fell. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his demons. Many had fallen at YHVH. Satan himself was no better, though the Arbiter remained standing tall and proud, despite the numerous cracks across his massive form. Not even Flynn, who was resurrected after his death as Vishnu, was spared from the onslaught, as his body was found not far from him...or rather what was left of it's charred husk.

Nanashi felt his heart tremble. Once again, he had witnessed the consequences of his actions. He betrayed the expectations placed on him to stop Krishna. He had betrayed his friends expectations to hold on to his humanity. He betrayed the expectations of their memory to save Flynn. Now, he witnessed the man he once knew as a comrade in his past life perish once again. He gritted his teeth, and while his body felt ready to break apart, his will would not allow him to fall. His hand gripped his katana tightly, as his green eyes stared down the battered creator's deadly form.

"What's the matter, YHVH?" Nanashi taunted. Though he was on the verge of death for the countless time, he still found his voice to be booming and strong enough to denounce the demon. "Can't stand the idea of being the same thing you made? Well...tough shit!"

" **IMPUDENT FOOL...!"** The degraded God scowled. **"YOU SHALL SUFFER A THOUSAND...NAY...AND INFINITE NUMBER OF DEATHS FOR THIS FOLLY!"**

"If case you haven't noticed, I've been there and done exactly that!"

Dagda smirked. **_"Exactly,"_** he said. **_"Until the day you meet your end, my Godslayer will come back, again and again, until your nothing but a rotting corpse!"_**

 **"THEN I WILL KILL YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL YOUR WILL BREAKS!"**

His will was already broken. It had been since before he had killed Krishna and Flynn when they were fused together. Now, all that drove him was a promise he had sworn to himself.

To the people he betrayed.

To the friends he killed.

To Asahi.

"No...YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S GONNA DIE!" Nanashi screamed in absolute Wrath as he charged once more, sword in hand.

What little demons he had with him also followed suit. Odin, reborn alongside Krishna from within the Cathedral of Shadows, became cloaked in a fury of electricity as he aimed his Gungnir, poised to impale YHVH. Krishna's light eyes glowed, a phantasmal image of Shesha dancing around him as it bared it's fangs down on the demon. Shiva glared back at the imposing being, though it's own feelings of wrath easily overwhelmed itself, as the Pralaya lashed around him uncontrollably, waiting to be set loose upon God Himself. Satan simply let waves of primal, unadulterated darkness and light wash out from his body, ready to obliterate his opponent at any given moment.

YHVH roared as the blue flames began to burn harshly around him, and spread his wings, his roar echoing across the black void. "Alright, kid!" Dagda shouted. "Let's end this, once and for all!"

In response to the Celtic God's words, Nanashi leaped up into the air, green eyes and markings glowing in turn, and swung his blade.

* * *

...throughout the years, many tales have been spun. Some of these stories are fairy tales, carrying a meaning or message in it's words. Others were grimm tales, telling of harsh worlds with consequences to ones actions. If you were to believe that other worlds, beyond that of your own, exist, then so too are many tales.

I will tell you of two tales. A fairy tale, and a grimm tale.

Once, in a world besieged in an ever-lasting war, there was a young boy, who, like many others, was forced into a conflict between powerful entities known as demons and angels. However, while trying to protect his dearest friend from such creatures, he had lost his life. While lost in death, he met Dagda, a god who had grown weary and tired of the world's state. He had granted the boy an offer: to return to life, in exchange for servitude. The young man had accepted, and had become Dagda's puppet. He had become a Godslayer, a human with the power to kill all things that held power. Gods, angels, demons, buddhas, pretas, nothing was safe from the power of one who enacted deicide. Eventually, his own story began to unfold, after being tricked by the Allfather called Odin into unsealing a powerful entity known as Krishna, the leader of the Divine Powers. They desired only one thing: "salvation" unto humanity, at the expense of their souls. Their power was great, possessing a primordial serpent at their side known as Shesha. They had even taken humanity's liberator; the Samurai known as Flynn.

The threat of the Divine Powers was indeed great, so much so that the forces of Heaven, led by God's Chariot Merkabah, and the forces of Hell, led by the Demon Lord Lucifer, had called for a ceasefire. For the first time, humanity had been called to arms alongside the two armies that had thrusted them into this war for power. Soon, the Divine Powers were destroyed, though the battle between Lucifer and Merkabah continued to rage on. The Godslayer was soon called to defeat them both. For a brief moment, humanity was given a reprieve. A war that had lasted for years had finally come to an end. Unfortunately, this only served as the precursor to an event of utter destruction. The Divine Powers, in truth, yet still walked among mortals, having faked their own demise in order to witness the war unfold. Humanity was once again put on the brink of extinction.

Eventually, the Godslayer was tasked with making a choice: to fulfill his role as Dagda's Godslayer, and defeat the creator god, YHVH, and ascend all humans to a higher plane of existence, free from a world of gods' influence, or to preserve his world by cultivating the peace that existed within human potential with Dagda's mother, Danu, who possessed the Queen of the Fairy Folk.

And so the Godslayer had chosen...having lost the life of his dearest friend, who had died to save his life, he took the path of Anarchy. Those he once held as comrades stood against him, alongside much of humanity, but they fell to the power he had wielded. Soon, even the Divine Powers fell victim to his strength. Now, with the Divine Powers destroyed, all that remained was one singular foe...the Creator God, YHVH. By destroying YHVH, the Godslayer would free humanity from his control, and the universe would be remade entirely. No more gods would exist, and humans would become something more. The Godslayer himself would become something akin to a God, as from the moment he had accepted Dagda's proposal, he had forfeited his own humanity, becoming one that is neither angel nor demon.

Now...let me me tell you a fairy tale.

Once, there was a world, mere remnants of it's shattered past. Despite it's state, humanity had long since began to thrive. Through turmoil, and through war, and through times of peace, they had forged villages, cities, countries, and soon enough, kingdoms. However, like all worlds, such peace is threatened by an unimaginable darkness. This darkness...was known as the Grimm. Black, heartless, lacking a soul, they had threatened to return humans back to their place of origin; mere dust. However, they had soon come to wield the power of Nature's Wrath, which had come to be appropriately named Dust. This tale followed four young girls, each with variant backgrounds.

One, a daughter of dragons, fierce and powerful.

One, a girl plagued by her own cursed past, hiding in the shadows.

One, a princess born of noble rights, yet forced to follow the expectations set to her.

And lastly, a girl bearing silver eyes, who aspired to become the heroes of the stories she was raised on.

Fate had brought all four girls together for a reason. A reason to save the world. Yet, they would face many trials. Trials that would test their strengths, their resolves...their bonds.

Often at times, tales become intertwined with one another, for fate had always something in mind, be it for good, or for worse.

Before we continue on...surely, you must know, that such tales are but mere fiction. Only those that accept this can see what new tale is about to unfold.

 **Agree**  
 **Disagree**

 **- _Agree_**

...very well. Then let us begin.

As I have said, often at times, tales become intertwined with one another. This tale is one such event. The world shall be overcome with darkness, a great black that will threaten to consume the light. Yet, through that turmoil, a silver soul will find solace within one who partakes in the communion of ravaging of the heavens.

Let us begin the tale...of the silver-eyed huntress, and the Godslayer.

* * *

When Nanashi opened his eyes, he found himself staring back at a unfamiliar white ceiling. Where...where was he...? What just happened...? He...he could've sworn he was fighting YHVH...but...why was his mind a blur...? He slowly looked at his surroundings, since he found it somewhat hard to move. It looked like some kind of medical room, given the obvious white colors that dominated the entire room. A small window was found open on his left, with the curtains blowing. A gentle breeze blew across his face, catching the vague blue colors of the sky past the curtains as they flapped. He found a small desk to his right, with a vase full of flowers.

"Where...is this...?"

He paused. Did his voice always sound so high? Nevermind that, where was his smartphone? He took another look around the room, and found the object in question sitting on the desk with the vase. He reached over to grab it, though he stopped. Why was his arm so short? Moreover...were his hands always so small?

He looked down at himself, taking a peek at his legs. Like his arms, they had also shrunk in length, as had his feet.

What...what was this? Wait...shorter limbs, higher voice...oh God...don't tell him...

"Oh, you're awake!" a voice called out as Nanashi heard the sound of a door opening and closing. "Thank goodness! I was so worried!" The person stepped into view, moving past the white curtain that barred the entrance to the room. She was a young woman, presumably in her late twenties to early thirties. She possessed a light complexion, and clad in a light gray cardigan below a black corset and red skirt. She also wore a pair of black leggings with a pair of knee high black combat boots. a white cloak was draped around her lithe frame. Her hair was cut short to her neck, colored black with red highlights. The most striking feature, however, were her silver eyes...

Nanashi blinked. Her features were different than the people of Tokyo's, or those from Mikado. "Um..."

"Oh, right, sorry..." the woman chided to herself, smiling kindly as she bopped herself on the head, sticking out her tongue. "I guess your pretty confused about all of this, huh? My name's Summer! What's yours?"

"N-Na...Nanashi...my name is Nanashi..." He answered.

The woman called Summer tilted her head. "Na...na...shi... Hm, that's a strange name."

Many people thought so, himself included. Seriously, why would anyone name their child "nameless?" Did they mean to be insulting or something, or was there some kind of hidden meaning about it? Regardless, it was the name he went by and chose to stick with it. It was even the name he inputted on the smartphone. Speaking of which, he had forgotten about it while looking at his body. He picked it up from the table beside him, and quickly activated it. Thankfully, everything seemed to be fine. Of course, that was just the surface. He would have to check and see if the Demon Summoning Program was still functioning, along with the Cathedral of Shadows app.

"That's a pretty slick Scroll you got there, kiddo," Summer remarked curiously as she sat down on a chair, next to his body. "Though it's pretty weird looking." Scroll? How the heck did this seem like a scroll? "Anyway, are you okay?" Her silver eyes frowned heavily in concern. "When I found you in the Emerald Forest, you were covered in wounds. Did a Grimm do that to you?" Grimm? Was she talking about demons? If so, she wasn't far off the mark. He was in a fight with one...one that used to be called "God." Deciding to play along, he nodded. Summer only seemed to be more concerned. "And what about your parents?"

"I...don't have any. They died a long time ago."

"Oh...I...see..." Summer fidgeted awkwardly. She...she didn't mean to open up old wounds.

"If you're feeling sorry about it...don't be...I don't even remember them, let alone know them...so it doesn't really matter..."

Summer frowned heavily upon hearing this. "Nanashi...parents are very important. You shouldn't speak of something with 'it doesn't really matter.'"

Nanashi didn't understand the meaning behind her worse. How could he? The only family he ever had was Asahi and the Master, and they were both gone forever. All because of the Divine Powers. If it weren't for them, his family would still be alive. "...sorry," he responded in a manner that sounded apologetic. "But...I really don't remember them well. The family that raised me died not too long ago, so..."

Summer nodded in understanding. "I get it," she said before looking sad. "Still, for someone so young to go through that...you're pretty tough for a five-year old."

Nanashi froze. Five?

 _'...ah crap.'_

Did he really de-age by a span of ten years? Shit...That meant he would have to go through puberty again. He felt a shudder run down his spine. Puberty was not exactly fun for him. He was at least glad he didn't get acne or zits, so he guess that was a plus. "I...guess..."

"Summer?" a male voice called out, as the young teen-er boy heard the door open again. "Is he awake?"

"Yeah!"

"That's a relief." the voiced sighed as the person in question walked in. He was a man in his late twenties to early thirties with blond hair, having two small strands sticking out from the top. He also had blue eyes, a soul patch and a small amount of stubble along his jawline. Black tribal-like tattoo was printed on his right arm. He wore brown cargo shorts with a dark brown belt, black shoes, a red bandana on his left arm, and a brown leather vest over a tan dress shirt with the right sleeve cut off. He also wore armor, consisting of a metal spaulder, leather vambrace, and a brown fingerless glove, all on his right arm.

Nanashi, for a moment, felt himself staring back at awe. The man was enormous, and if that body of his was any indication, he knew how to bash someone's skull in. A human skull, anyway. "Allow me to introduce my husband," Summer smiled widely. "Taiyang Xiao Long! Tai, this is Nanashi!"

"Nanashi, huh? Quite an unusual name. Well anyway, nice to meet ya, kiddo." Taiyang nodded as he extended a hand.

Nanashi nodded, and took his hand. He immediately felt how rough his hands were, signs that he had been through many a fight. "So, Nanashi..." Taiyang said, releasing the boy's hand. "What were you doing all the way out in the Emerald Forest? The doctor's said that you hadn't unlocked your aura, but they found a weapon on you." He frowned heavily as he cross his arms over his chest. "That kind of thing is dangerous without Aura. You should have been more careful."

Nanashi frowned. "...Aura?" he asked. "What's that?"

"Aura," Summer explained. "Is, to put it bluntly, a shield made from your soul. It protects you, and it heals you. It's saved mine and Tai's butts a lot."

"A shield...from the soul...?" This Aura thing was a completely new concept to him. He knew what an aura was...but from what he recalled, it never did anything like this...

Taiyang nodded. "Yeah...strange, I'm sure your parents would have told you. Speaking of that, where are they? We need to..." he trailed off, seeing the look on his wife's face. Instantly, sadness and regret formed over his own mug, as he averted looking at the boy's eyes. "Oh...I...I'm sorry."

"It's fine," he told the man. "Um...can I ask something?"

"What is it, kiddo?"

"...where am I?"

"Right now, you are in the hospital in the Isle of Patch. It was quite a journey from where I found you, but this was the place I was closest to at the time. I'm just glad you weren't too badly hurt..."

Isle of Patch? Where was that? "...this might sound like a weird question," Nanashi said. "But what...country am I in?"

Summer and Taiyang exchanged a bewildered look at one another, as if they had become increasingly more worried about him. Then, they turned back to him. "You're in the Kingdom of Vale, which Patch is apart of...Nanashi, are you sure your alright?"

The boy wasn't listening. He was even more confused now than ever. Kingdom of Vale? Where on Earth was that? Why had he been shrunk back down to the size of a kid? Just what the hell happened with his fight against YHVH? "I-I'm sorry, I'm just...still a bit rattled."

"I can understand that," Summer said, nodding in understanding. "We'll be outside."

Nanashi nodded, and the two left the room. Not long after they did, Nanashi looked at his smartphone. "...Dagda, what the hell is going on here?"

Instantly, the face of the demon who brought him back to life and made him into his Godslayer appeared on the screen. _**"I am not sure ki...wait...did you get younger or something...?"**_

"Thanks for stating the obvious..." Nanashi scowled. "But seriously, just what the hell happened after our fight with YHVH?"

Dagda sighed. ** _"Figured you wouldn't remember,"_** he said before his face turned serious. **_"You managed to beat YHVH in the end, but he was apparently a sore loser too. He opened up some kind of portal. I tried to keep you from falling in, but as you can see, it didn't end up all that well."_**

"Those people said we're in the Kingdom of Vale, but I don't remember Isabeau or Gaston-" he repressed the regret that filled his heart at the mention of their names. "-mentioning a country like that. Just where are we?"

 ** _"My guess?"_** Dagda scoffed. " ** _Bastard threw us into another world. I can't feel a single demonic or godly presence anywhere."_**

The boy's eyes widened. "Wait...what does that mean?"

 ** _"Do I have to spell it out for you kid? This world isn't apart of the Axiom's control! It's completely cut-off!"_**

"What?!" The boy cried in shock. A world...separate from the Axiom...?!

Dagda growled in annoyance, feeling equally as bitter. **_"Trust me kid...I know how you feel. I never would have imagined that the bastard would try as something as stupid as that. I would have thought that he wouldn't have enough power after the beating we gave him, but obviously, I was wrong."_**

"So what now...?" Nanashi asked. "Are we stuck here? Or is there a way to go back? If there is...I say we go and kill YHVH for pulling this shit."

 ** _"Technically, we already did,"_ ** the Irish demon pointed out. **_"Even if he succeeded in bringing us here, he wouldn't have any strength left at all. In other words, he died throwing us into this world. As to how we get back...sorry, kid, but I don't think there is. Like I said, this world is cut off from the Axiom. That means there are no angels, no demons, and no gods either. If there were, there might have been a way we could find a way back. As it stands now, kid...we're completely stuck here."_**

Nanashi gritted his teeth, anger bubbling up from his chest as he slammed his hand on his knee. "Dammit!"

It wasn't fair...it wasn't supposed to be like this! After he had usurped YHVH, he was going to change everything...start everything over. Humanity would go beyond their boundaries, given the freedom that Dagda had wanted for them, a world free of the influence of gods. In that new world, he would be able to bring everyone back. Asahi, Navarre, Nozomi, Hallelujah, Gaston, Toki, Isabeau, Flynn...everyone. It didn't matter to him if they might hate him for the rest of his life. He wanted them there, the only things that reminded him that, somewhere inside of him, there was at least a piece of him that was still human.

If only...if only they had run away when he had given them the chance...!

 ** _"...still hung up on killing your friends, I see,"_** Dagda noted, seeing the pained expression on his face. **_"Look, I get that you wanted to bring them back...but face it, kid. There's no way they would forgive you. After all, you were the one who chose to side with me."_**

"I know but...I would've been fine with the fact that they would still live." He shook his head. "So what if they wouldn't ever forgive me? So what if they would hate me. I wouldn't care. I just...I just wanted them to live the lives they should've gotten...The lives they all deserved..."

Dagda scoffed. **_"Your too naive, kid...then again, I guess it's a good quality to have, depending on how you look at it. Anyway, seems like the Demon Summoning App is working fine. I had a talk with the old man in the Cathedral. Seems you can still fuse demons. Even if it isn't connected to the Axiom, the old man can link it directly to the Expanse."_**

Nanashi was surprised at this, but nodded. He decided to check and see if any demons had survived the fight. To his pleasant surprise, Odin, Shiva, and Krishna were still alive, whereas the rest were either dead, or recovering from their injuries. From what he learned from that couple, this world wasn't without danger, so it was nice to see he still had some allies at his beck and call. He sighed as he reclined in his bed, staring back up at the ceiling.

A whole other world, completely cut-off from the universe that was his home...it was all so...unfair. Then again, perhaps this was his punishment for killing his friends. He had failed them, betrayed them. He knew that they would never forgive him, but even still...they reminded him that there was at least some humanity left in him. That a part of him still remembered that he was still the human...the Hunter, Nanashi, not just the Godslayer.

"Everyone..."

He really wished they had retreated when he gave them the chance. But stubbornness had been one of their key qualities, unfortunately. Now every time he closed his eyes...he could see their blood on his hands. He had sacrificed his comrades, his friends, and the one person who stood by him all this time...

"...Asahi..."

 _'Let's go, Nanashi!'_

 _'I shall be coming with you, no buts!'_

 _'I'll be tagging along, in case things get rowdy.'_

 _'I guess I'll call you Leader, then!'_

 _'Indeed. I am Captain Gaston.'_

 _'This is merely a temporary alliance.'_

 _'You really are something, Nanashi...'_

"...Dammit..." He closed his eyes and balled his hands into tight fists. When he had nothing, he was blessed with a family and friends...but he threw it all away to side with Dagda. From his Godslayer's smartphone, the deity sighed, soon vanishing from his screen.

* * *

"We're adopting him."

Those were the first words that fell out of Summer Rose's mouth as soon as she closed the door and turned to face her husband. The blonde brawler blinked, unsure if he had heard her correctly before responding. "...I'm sorry," he said. "But, what did you just say, Summer?"

"I said," the white reaper said firmly. "We are adopting him."

"...Okay..." Taiyang closed his eyes. "I've been on the same team as you for about ten years now...and while your suggestions, theories, and plans may sound crazy...you always knew how to explain it in a way for others to accept it." He then opened them again. "So can you please explain why in this case...?"

"Tai...you should know if you saw the look in his eyes."

"His eyes...?"

"Mmhm..." Summer nodded. "Those eyes...they were the eyes of someone who had lost everything..."

Tai knew what she was talking about. He had seen it reflected in Nanashi's eyes when he laid eyes on the boy. It was not the look of a child...it was the look of someone who had been through hell. Those eyes should never...ever...be seen on a child. "...okay, maybe you have a point," he conceded. "But what about Yang, or Ruby?" A frown marred the father's face, glancing at the door to Nanashi's room. "Ever since Raven disappeared, Yang has always wondered if we would just up and abandon her, even though it would never happen. If we brought Nanashi home with us, think about what it might do to her. She might think we're replacing her."

Summer agreed with that idea. Yang, despite putting up the 'tough guy' act, was actually quite emotional. She was sensitive about a lot of things, mostly involving Rub's safety. There was the possibility that Nanashi's presence there might affect her greatly, though she wanted to think positive. "I have faith that Yang will get along fine," she said with a smile before she paused, suddenly realizing something. "...of course, before that, I need to ask if he's okay with this. I mean, we're basically asking if he wants to live with a couple of strangers."

"Sometimes, Summer..." Taiyang sighed. "I think you've been hanging around my brother-in-law too much."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

* * *

 **-Ten Years Later-**

The streets of Vale were quiet and dark as several men, all dressed in black and red, marched through them. Any bystander with their wits about them recognized the threat they seemingly possessed, and were quick to retreat. All of them wore black suits with traces of red, namely their shirts or the red sunglasses they wore over their eyes. The one leading the group, however, was dressed differently than them. He bore slanted, dark-green eyes and bright, long, orange hair, with long bangs covering his right eye. He wore a black bowler hat with a red band and a small feather, and black eyeliner. He was dressed in a red-lined white suit and a small gray scarf, complete with black gloves with rounded sleeves, as well as long black pants and black shoes. In his hand was a black cane with red highlights.

Their destination was a simple shop, which was not far from them, as it was directly across the street: Dust till Dawn. They ignored the bystanders yelps and cries as they were quick to flee, and entered the store. At the front desk was an old man wearing a brown apron, his gray hair slicked back, and his form rather somewhat frail. When the man saw the group of men, his body became tense, especially as the orange-haired man waltzed up to the front desk. He took a swift drag of the cigarette present in his mouth, before pulling it away, and gave the man a level stare.

"...do you know how hard it is to find an open Dust shop, this late at night?"

"Please, just take my lien and leave." The old man begged, his hands in the air.

"Sh, sh, sh...Relax. We don't want your money." He then turned to his goons. "Grab the Dust."

The men nodded. They immediately turned their attention to the tubes on the left side of the room, which ran up to the ceiling. They removed the locks on their cases, revealing large canisters. They took the canisters, and then placed them to the tubes. As they did this, the man with the cane tapped his fingers against the glass casing. "Open it." The old man didn't need to be told twice, nodding frantically as he popped it open, allowing the men to grab the various colored crystals lined up.

Some of the men scoured the store for more Dust. But one of them found a red hooded figure in the back corner.

The man instantly frowned, seeing them apparently reading a magazine. "Hey!" he shouted. "Put your hands in the air!" The figure made no response. They simply continued reading the magazine. This caused him to scowl, and march over to the them. "I said, hands in the air!" Again, there was no response. He grabbed them by the shoulder, and turned them to face him, pulling down their hood in the process.

It was a girl, no older than fifteen. She was a silver-eyed girl dressed in a black blouse, a black waist cincher with red lacing and a skirt with red trimmings, completed by a red, hooded cloak. Her entire outfit is made up of various shades of red and black with black as the primary color on the main suit and red on the cloak. Even her shoulder-length hair was black with a red tint to it. She had cross-shaped pins holding her cloak to her shirt. Around her waist was a belt which holds large cartridges in individual loops, as well as a magazine pouch. She has a silver rose emblem on her belt. Around her ears were a pair of dark red headphones.

The girl's face was laced in confusion with music blaring in her ears. The man's irritation was growing by the second, tapping his ears. The girl understood the gesture, and pulled down her headphones. "Can I help you?"

"I said," the thug said, for the third time. "Put your hands in the air!"

This caused the girl to tilt her head. "Are you..." she said slowly in realization. "Mugging me?"

"Oh, for the love of-YES!"

The girl's eyes widened, and let out an 'ah' of understanding.

A second later, that same thug was sent flying, straight past the leader of the muggers, and smashed straight through the window, shattering in the process, and tumbled out into the streets.

Along with him, the same red haired girl landed on the asphalt crouched down. The other thugs drew their weapons and peered through the broken window to see all the commotion. As the girl rose to her feet, a red rectangle on her back unfolded into a large, mechanical scythe. As the transformation finished, she looked back and the thugs, smirked at them, and twirled her massive weapon, the blade stabbing into the ground. As soon as the blade was left stabbed into the concrete, the girl grinned, shutting off the music playing in her headphones.

The leader of the muggers looked at the sight slowly, holding his cigarette in his hand before flicking out to the ground. "Well?" he turned to his lackies. "Get her!"

Rather than jumping through the open window, the thugs ran out through the door and rushed the young girl. One of the them took a swing at her, only to jump over the blade using the handle of her weapon as support. She swung her body around and kicked him in the face. The thug's shades flew off as he was thrown back. The girl then jumped off with her scythe and landed on her feet. The remaining goons surrounded her. She held her weapon behind her back, one hand located near the base of the shaft, the other near the base of the blade. Her index finger pressed on the trigger on the shaft. The result was her scythe firing a bullet from the top of the blade, and her using the recoil to swing her weapon and hit another thug into the air. She then spun around and slammed the flat end of her weapon on top of another thug.

However, this served as an opportunity, as another thug came rushing at her with a night stick. One hit to the head would be all that was needed to knock her down, and leave her defenseless for them to take their leave, and perhaps beat the shit out of her for payback. However, he was thrown back, his body crashing into a wall. The force of the impact was enough to render him unconscious, seemingly stuck to the wall for a few seconds before falling to the ground.

"Seriously, Ruby? I leave you alone for ten minutes and you get caught up into some sort of commotion." A young male sighed in annoyance. A boy around the same age as the girl stood with a black katana in his hand. He had a light complexion and messy black hair combed to the right. The left side of his head was shaved save for a small tuft of hair that resembled a short horn. A red stud was found on his left earlobe. A green jumpsuit with badges of various symbols pinned to the left side covered his lithe frame. A dark green belt with twin holsters was wrapped around his waist. Metal knee pads were strapped around his legs. The left leg of his jumpsuit was cut off just above his calf, revealing his skin and orange sock. A black fingerless glove was seen covering his right hand, and a strap that held his smartphone was wrapped around his left forearm. But the most striking features of this individual were his green eyes, the green scar on his right cheek, and the green markings on his left hand.

The girl, identified as Ruby, pouted. "Hey, not my fault they decided to jump me," she said as he turned her gaze to the orange-haired man. The man sighed as he shook his head, tossing his cigar to the ground and snuffing it out with his cane, looking on with disappointment of his group.

"Worthy every cent," he muttered sarcastically. "Truly, you were." He then turned his attention to the two teenagers, swinging his cane around. "Well, Red and Green, I'd love to say that this has been an eventful evening, but this..." He threw his cane up, the butt end popping open to reveal a barrel inside, with the flat revealed to be a cross hair. "Is where we part ways."

He opened fire, shooting off a blast at the two. The girl used her scythe to throw herself up into the air, shooting off a bullet to use the recoil to throw her upwards, whereas the boy simply leaped away, which was impressive, given that he fell back quite a bit away from where the blast struck, obliterating the ground where they stood on. The two landed back to the street, and looked at where the man was, only to find the store owner standing at the front door, shaking slightly from the recent events. The boy scowled as he looked around, and found the man they were looking for, climbing up a ladder to the rooftop of a nearby building. Ruby saw the criminal, and turned to the store owner.

"Mind if we go after him?"

The old man only nodded, giving the two the answer they needed. Without another word, the two teens broke off into a sprint after the robber. Once they got close to the building, Ruby used her weapon again to propel herself off the ground and onto the rooftop. The teen clad in green however, resorted to a simpler method.

He jumped.

Like with his leap from before, it was incredible, as he had reached the roof in seconds. "Hey!" The girl called out to the man walking away.

The man in white ceased his walk and clicked his tongue without even turning. "Tch. Persistent little bunch."

The boy and girl readied themselves to rush at him. But the whirring of an airship grabbed took them off guard.

The boy frowned as, sure enough, and true to the sound, a silver aircraft appeared just behind the man, rising up from below. The orange-haired man tipped his hat to the two, a smug grin on his face as the carrier's hatch opened up, allowing him to jump inside. "End of the line, Red and Green!" he said with a smirk as he tossed something at their feet, and then took aim. It only took a second for the boy to realize what was at their feet before he scowled, and made a move to get the girl out of the way.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The man took aim, and fired off another round, going straight for the red Dust crystal that laid at their feet. A second later, a loud "BOOM!" echoed into the air, followed by a red burst of flames and cloud that rose into the air. "Whoa-ho-ho!" the man whooped in joy, grinning at his handiwork before he frowned in confusion, seeing something off.

As the smoke cleared, the two were shown to be unharmed. In front of them was a middle-aged woman with light-blonde hair tied back in a bun with a curl hanging down the right side of her face. Her eyes were bright green and she wore thin ovular glasses. She had teal hanging earrings with a small bead identical to her earrings on her collar. She wore white long-sleeved suit that exposed part of her chest, and tight puffy sleeves near the wrist before spreading back out near her hands. Her lower attire was a black business skirt with buttons running in a vertical line up the front of it and lighter black-brown stockings. She also had black boots with brown heels, and a tattered purple cape with black on the outside, decorated by a row of diamond-shaped brown beads going horizontally across it. Above this was a line of beads appears an emblem of a tiara. In her hands was what appeared to be a riding crop.

In front of her were dancing, purple runes in the form of a circle.

"...Ah shit." The man cursed. He then moved further into the airship. "We got a huntress!" He called out to the pilot.

The woman pushed up her glasses as the runes faded away. With a swing of her riding crop, streams of light launched forward, dancing and curling around in the air as they struck into the carrier, causing the man to tumble slightly, losing his cane in the process. The apparent pilot was quick to leave the cockpit, leaving the man to jump in. The woman did not let up, however, as another runic circle danced above them, creating violet, black clouds. The man looked around in confusion. "The hell...?" With another swing of the crop, shards of ice came raining down, several of them striking into the carrier, though none had truly damaged it. One had nearly hit the man in the head as he quickly ducked underneath it, instead piercing metal rather than flesh and bone.

The pilot of the carrier stepped into open view. Their form was relatively obscured to the three on the roof, however, as the shadows hid the upper part of their body. They were obviously female, evident by the red dress and heels they were. They were slightly illuminated by the fierce, glowering light reflected in her eyes, as well as the markings that danced along her arms. Flames seemed to dance around her hands as she launched a ball of flame at the blonde. In retaliation, she swung her crop, dispersing the flame, though small embers pierced into the ground. The woman in red flicked her hands up, causing the embers around the blonde woman's feet to burn brightly. A high-pitched whistling sound pierced into the air as the Huntress seemed to recognize the danger, and jumped back. The ground she once stood on exploded, leaving behind shattered remains of debris.

Using this, the woman flicked her crop once again. A purple light danced around the debris as they began to lift and gather together, creating a spear. She aimed her riding crop at the woman in red, and sent it flying. Her opponent was quick to retaliate as she launched smaller flames at the spear, which caused the sharp pieces to disperse, only to gather again once more and continue it's assault. The man, recognizing the danger of what would happen if it hit, tilted the carrier. The stream of debris instead scraped along the roof. With a wave of the riding crop, the Huntress dispersed the spear, and formed three streams of sharp debris, which served to dance all around the carrier with the intent of skewering it from all sides.

The woman in red's eyes flared along with the markings as she crossed her arms, flames dancing around her. She swung her arms, and the flames were released. In seconds, all three streams of debris were destroyed instantly, left only to be mere flecks of embers. The Huntress scowled, seeing that her efforts were seemingly futile, but the two children beside her weren't about to let them get away so easily. Ruby rammed the scythe into the ground, and began to open fire. The green-clad boy simply took out a pistol from his holster, taking aim and shooting off bullets. Each and every bullet was knocked away by the woman in red before she aimed her palm at the three. A red light began to dance beneath their feet as the same sound from before echoed. The Huntress, as well as the boy, recognized the danger, and moved. The blonde leaped away while the boy grabbed the girl, pulling her by the arm as they ran, knocked to their feet as the ground exploded. They could only watch as the woman in red disappeared as the hatch closed, and the carrier flying away. The blonde glared at the retreating form, clearly not pleased with the fact that two criminals had been allowed to escape. Oh well, she supposed it didn't matter. After all, they had the hired scum down below to get all the answers she needed.

"You're a Huntress!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly as the woman then turned her attention to the two. The boy merely sighed, apparently recognizing what kind of trouble they were in, and promptly face-palmed as the girl stared at the woman with absolute awe and admiration. "Can I have your autograph?!"

The woman gave her a flat look.

* * *

"...Ruby Rose, and Nanashi Xiao Long, both age 15. The two of you are students at Signal Academy, is that correct?"

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

"You have an older sister named Yang Xiao Long, and your parents' names are Taiyang Xiao Long, and Summer Rose. Is that correct as well?"

"Y-yes, but Nanashi was adopted."

"I see...according to this, the two of you are recorded as being among the best students at Signal in terms of combat, despite that one of you has...Aura Deficiency, was it?"

"Yeah, but it hasn't stopped me yet."

The woman sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she paced around the teenagers. The girl and boy were currently seated at a metal table in a small interrogation room with only a single overhead lamp illuminating the space. "I hope you two realize that your actions tonight will NOT be taken lightly," she said sternly. "You put yourselves and others in great danger."

"But they started it!" Ruby argued

The woman went around the table carrying a scroll in her hand, apparently reading some sort of report. "If it were up to me, you'd be sent home with a pat on the back..." The girl suddenly looked slightly hopeful while the boy kept an even expression. The woman returned her attention to them with a glare. "...and a slap on the wrist." As if to emphasize, she smacked the table with her riding crop, causing the girl to recoil. "But," she continued. "There is someone here who would like to meet you both." The girl raised her eyebrow in confusion, wondering who would want to talk to her, while the boy looked up in interest. As the Huntress moved away, someone else entered the room. It was a middle-aged man with tousled gray hair and thin brown eyes. He had a light complexion and sharp facial features, and wore shaded glass spectacles and a dark-green scarf with a small, purple, cross-shaped emblem on it. His outfit mainly consisted of an unzipped black suit over a buttoned vest and green undershirt. He also wore black trouser shoes and long, dark-green pants. In one hand was a plate of cookies, and in the other was a white mug with an emblem inscribed on it.

The two immediately recognized him, and apparently, he recognized them in turn.

"Ruby Rose..." The man begun speaking. He leaned in to get a closer look. "You have...silver eyes..."

"U-um..."

Ozpin then turned to Nanashi. "And you..." The boy stared back at him evenly. "You have...green eyes..."

Nanashi merely shrugged. "Like Ruby said, I'm adopted," he replied before he leaned back, placing his hands behind his head.

Ozpin seemed to let the matter drop, and then turned his attention back to Ruby. "So," he leaned back as he set the plate of cookies down while the blonde-haired woman held up her scroll, revealing the two's battle with the orange-haired criminal from before. "Where did the two of you learn to do this?"

"Signal Academy." Nanashi answered.

This, of course, caused the man to look both curious, amused, and also slightly amazed. "They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" he asked, looking specifically at Ruby, referring to the fact that he wielded the scythe like a master meister.

"W-well," Ruby cut in. "One teacher in particular."

"I see..." He smiled, amusingly so, as he watched Ruby slowly reach out for one of the cookies, taking a slow bite. As soon as she did, however, she hastily began to devour every cookie on the plate, while Nanashi rolled his eyes at the sight. "It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before." He chuckled fondly. "A dusty old crow."

"Mmm!" Ruby hummed with food still present in her mouth. "Thash muh unkul!"

The blonde haired woman gave her a critical glare, causing her to squirm underneath her gaze while Nanashi translated. "That's our uncle, Qrow." he stated. "He's a teacher at Signal."

Ruby gulped down the food in her mouth, wiping away the crumbs on her face as she smiled. "I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing." she told the man. "But, now I'm all like HOOOWAAAH!" she made exaggerated, kung-fu sounds as she swung her arms like a cheesy martial artist. "WAATAAH!

The man chuckled. "So I've noticed." he said as he set his mug of coffee down. "And what is an adorable girl and a young man like yourselves doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

"Well...I want to become a Huntress..." Ruby answered honestly.

"I also want to be a Huntsman like my parents and uncle." Nanashi added.

"So you want to slay monsters?"

"Yeah." The girl nodded. "Nanashi and I only have two more years of training left at Signal. Then we're going to apply to Beacon. See, our sister's started this year and she's trying to become a Huntress and I'm trying to become a Huntress and Nanashi is trying to become a Huntsman because we wanna help people. And our parents always taught us to help others so we thought, 'Oh well, might as well make a career outta it'. I mean the police are alight. But Huntresses and Huntsmen are so much more romantic and exciting and cool and just...Kyah! You know?!"

Glynda's face remained cold and stoic, whereas Ozpin looked quite amused, clasping his hands together. "Do you know who I am?"

"You're professor Ozpin." Ruby said with complete awe in her voice, staring at the man with complete and utter admiration, for in front of her and her adopted brother was the man who founded a school that trained the very warrior she aspired to be. "You're the headmaster of Beacon."

Ozpin smiled. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you." Ruby bowed her head.

Nanashi nodded back respectfully. "A pleasure to meet you."

Ozpin rested his hands on the metal table top and leaned forward. "You want to come to my school?"

"More then anything." Ruby nodded. The green-eyed boy bobbed his head in agreement.

Ozpin glanced over at Glynda, who turned away, but gave a small grunt of approval. He then turned to face the two once more. "Well, okay."

The two teens' eyes widened. Was...was he saying what they thought he was saying? Ruby's jaw dropped while Nanashi looked surprised. "...seriously?" he asked, dumbfounded. "That's it? No punchline?"

"That is correct, Mr. Xiao Long."

 ** _"...well, got to hand it to the man,"_** a voice emanating from Nanashi's smartphone said, though the voice could only be heard by the young teen. **_"He certainly knows how to make a girl's day. The lass is utterly dazed."_**

A sigh escaped Nanashi. "Yeah...seems like."

* * *

"...so," Taiyang said as he stood outside of the police station, leaning against his car with his arms folded. "Do I even want to know why I just got a call from Ozpin of all people?"

"Uh...probably not?" Ruby offered weakly.

"Well...on the plus side...Ozpin offered us places at Beacon." Nanashi offered.

The blonde haired brawler sighed, shaking his head. "Why am I not surprised..." he muttered before he pushed himself off the car, popping open one of the doors. "Well, come on...if we don't get home, Yang's likely to eat dinner without us." The two teens nodded, and hopped inside. As they buckled up, the man hopped inside the driver's seat, fashioned his seatbelt, and started the engine. As soon as it roared to life, the car was driving onto the road, and away from the police station. "Honestly, I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd say Qrow is rubbing off the two of you," Taiyang said, keeping his eyes on the road while Nanashi remained quiet in the passenger side seat, deciding to take a nap while Ruby fidgeted in the back seat, fiddling with her fingers. "I damned near panicked when I heard you two were at the police station." A sigh escaped him. "I know you want to be like your mom, Ruby, but seriously, you need to learn how to pick your battles."

"S-sorry, Dad..."

"Well, at least your okay," the father said. "After all, you had Ashi with you."

Nanashi felt his eyebrow twitch. "...I thought we agreed you wouldn't call me that, Tai." he growled, referring to his adoptive father by name. Taiyang, in response, grinned like a madman.

"Well...since you call me by my own nickname, thought it be fair for me to do the same."

"Keep it up, old man, and I'll kick your ass."

"Curse!" Ruby yelped with a disapproving glare.

"Like that ever stops me." Nanashi quipped.

"It should," Taiyang said. "Yang was only allowed to curse when she turned 17, whereas you are two years younger."

"Well excuse me for not being an innocent child. I didn't exactly have a sheltered childhood before I met you and Summer."

Dagda laughed at that. **_"That's putting it mildly, kid!"_**

"Well you were partially responsible for that, Dagda..." Nanashi commented blandly as he stared at the screen of his smartphone.

Nanashi's words were true, however. After all, were it not for Dagda, he would have remained dead, and Asahi would have joined him shortly afterwards. Perhaps the war would still continue, and Flynn would save Tokyo and liberate it from Merkabah and Lucifer. Or, perhaps, another fate would befall Tokyo. Regardless, because of Dagda, his life had taken quite the interesting turn, one of those turns being his current situation.

And to think...it had been ten years since the day he came into the care of the people who he would see as his family. It reminded him of the old life he used to lead...

"...hey, Nanashi?" Ruby called out from the backseat. "D-do you think...I'm really qualified for Beacon?" Nanashi broke away from his musings, and looked over his shoulder to see the silver-eyed girl fidgeting. "I mean, t-this is, like two years ahead of everyone else! Wh-what if, I dunno, people think we're something special, a-and we..."

The boy smiled. "Hey, don't worry about it. If it comes down to it, I'll introduce them to my Kamikira."

Kamikira. God Killer. That was the name of his weapon. The extension of himself. It was something he was quite proud of, having forged it when he began his first year at Signal. Unlike most students, he designed his weapon to be rather simple, yet quite durable. He had help from Ruby regarding the metal to use, as well as the molding process to fashion the sharp edge of the sword. Surprisingly, it had been Tenkai who offered up the suggestion. "Kami," was the word for "god," whereas "kira" was derived from the English word "killer." He found it surprisingly fitting, and kept it with him ever since.

Ruby seemed to appreciate his words, as she had managed a smile. Tai, for his part, smiled at Nanashi's way of comforting Ruby. His mind went back to the day when Nanashi, after having debated the pros and cons of being adopted by two total strangers, was brought to their home.

It was...amusing, to say the least. The girls of course had to get used to having a brother. Ruby was ecstatic for it. Yang, as he expected, was reluctant at first...but she slowly warmed up to him. In the beginning, she didn't really want to have anything to do with him. She kept her distance, and only interacted with him when she absolutely had to. Nanashi, likewise, kept his distance. Ruby, however, had been so adorable, as she had been quite small and childish at the time...and by that, he meant extremely childish. She clung to him as if he were some kind of lifeline, often following him wherever he went. She had even tried to get Yang to go with her at the times Nanashi went to train by himself. Most of the time, Yang was reluctant to comply. But sometimes, she would give in to her sister's cuteness. Surprisingly, Nanashi had not even once tried to reject her. Instead, he joked that she was whipped by her own younger sister. Yang heavily denied that she wasn't whipped, but that comment had been the ice breaker to their future relationship. Although, to Tai and Summer, there was a bit of truth to those words. Yang had always done whatever it had taken to make her little sister happy, though there were a few times when recalled that she would do anything her sister asked...provided that they were within reason. Regardless, the man was happy that the three children got along.

They all grew closer to one another as siblings. After a while, they became pretty much inseparable. Although...there were a few complications here and there, namely when they grew older. Apparently, since Nanashi was considered adopted and not a blood sibling, Yang, as she started to hit puberty, had started to become a bit more...affectionate than he felt comfortable with. Now, don't get him wrong, he was happy that Yang might have found someone that she liked, but the idea of her hitting on her brother, adopted or no, brought forth conflicted feelings for the man. He couldn't help but let out another tired sigh, earning confused looks from Nanashi and Ruby.

"I'm getting too old for this."

* * *

"...I'm beginning to question your sanity, Headmaster," Glynda stated as she and Ozpin sat in the elevator, waiting to reach their intended destination. "True, their combat capability is something to be taken noticed of, but they are still children. Even if Ruby does have the Silver Eyes...she's not ready for this."

Ozpin merely took a sip of his coffee before giving his friend a mysterious smile. "Perhaps...but if given the push she needs, that can easily be overlooked. After all, victory can sometimes be found in simple, honest souls, don't you think?"

"Why do I even bother?" the woman muttered under her breath. She had thought that, after working with the man for as long as she did, she would have known his antics. "And what of the boy? Nanashi?"

"He is an unusual soul as well..." He responded.

"But sir, he doesn't even have Aura. While his skills say otherwise, he really could get hurt, or worse."

"That may be, but something about him feels...different from most people," Ozpin said. The elevator reached it's destination, as the doors slid open to let the two teachers exit and enter the lobby of the police station. "His skills are far beyond what any normal student would be able to accomplish in their lifespan. There's also the manner of how he fights that is especially interesting."

Glynda frowned. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

"What I mean is...it's as if he's in possession of decades worth of experience despite his young age."

The woman quirked an eyebrow. "I will admit that his skills are beyond that of his peers," she said as Ozpin held the door out for her, letting her exit the building. "Though that is something of an exaggeration, don't you think, Headmaster?"

"On the contrary, Glynda," Opzin smiled curiously, closing the door behind him. "I believe it's something...more than that. Additionally, there's something else about young Nanashi."

"Something...else?"

"From what I noticed...it wasn't simply the fact he had aura deficiency...it was as if...he lacked a soul entirely..."

Glynda's eyes narrowed at this. "...you do realize that such a thing is impossible for a human, right, Ozpin?" she said to the headmaster. "The only creatures who do not hold a soul of their own are the Creatures of Grimm, and that boy is certainly not a Grimm."

"I know. That is what is most unusual..." Ozpin stated as he took a sip from his mug. "He is a human...yet he lacks the one thing that separates us from the Grimm."

The witch was uncertain what the man was getting at. A human lacking a soul was impossible. All living beings possess a soul. It was a simple fact. The only thing that did not was the Creatures of Grimm, fro they were the darkness that consumed the light. She still felt that this was a mistake. Ruby Rose had potential, as she had expected from the daughter of the famed White Reaper of Vale, but she was still so young. Nanashi Xiao Long was the same, though his was a worse disadvantage: Aura Deficiency. While scientists have yet to learn the cause behind it, this was a rare disease that left an individual with little to no Aura at all. From what she read, his adopted parents tried to unlock his Aura, but strangely, they had learned that it was useless. It was when they visited the local doctor that they learned why. She was amazed by the fact that he was able to fight to such an amazing degree, even with such a major disadvantage, but it was still something that was a cause of concern.

As much as she hated to do so, she would follow Ozpin's lead. After all, despite his crazy ideas, he had yet to lead her astray.

"I hope you know what your doing, Ozpin."

* * *

"Oooh, I can't believe my baby sister and bro are coming to Beacon with me!" The girl, Yang Xiao Long, exclaimed with an exuberant grin. "This is the best day EVER!"

"Please stop..." Ruby wheezed, due to being trapped in the woman's infamous death hug. Nanashi, for his part, had wisely chosen to part ways as soon as he saw their sister coming toward them.

The older girl let the girl go, much to Ruby's relief. "But I'm sooo proud of you guys!"

"Really sis...It was nothing."

"What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you two are the Bee's Knees."

Yang Xiao Long was two years older than them, being a teenage girl wearing a tan vest with gold piping over a yellow low-cut crop top with a black crest that resembles a burning heart. The vest she had bore puffy cap sleeves with black cuffs. On the sides of the cuffs, there are two small golden buttons. She wore a brown belt with a buckle, a pouch, and a small banner-like object. The same burning heart crest appeared on this banner, except golden in color. She wore black shorts under her belt, which resembled a pleated skirt in the back. Over the short shorts but under the belt was a white asymmetrical back skirt, with an orange infinity scarf around her neck. She wore brown knee-high platform boots that looked to be made of leather, with orange socks of different lengths. Her left leg also had a gray bandanna-like object wrapped around the top of her boot. She also had on black finger-less gloves. Her defining, and most valued trait, was her blonde hair, which is lighter in color at the tips and flowed in a loose and messy manner, with a few locks sticking out and a small cowlick on top of her head. She had a pale complexion, like the two of them, and lilac eyes.

Another thing to know was that she was rather...gifted...in the chest department, much to Ruby's ire. Seriously, what did you have to eat to even get that big? Part of the reason she asked was because she had noticed Nanashi sometimes looking at Yang, though maybe it was partially because he was being weary, due to her often trying to flirt with him, despite their relationship. Ruby, for her part, didn't really understand why it was considered incestuous, despite that Nanashi was not even remotely related.

"I don't want to be the 'bee's knees', okay?" Ruby whined. "I don't wanna be any kind of knees! I just wanna be a normal girl with normal knees!"

"What's with you?" Yang asked, still overjoyed by the fact that her two younger siblings were getting to go with her to Beacon. Seriously, how cool was that?! "Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited..." Ruby sighed. "I just... We got moved ahead two years. I don't want people think we're special or anything."

"But you ARE special, you two. I mean, you are the top of your year back at Signal. Heck, you could even give the top of the upperclassmen a run for their money." She answered happily.

Ruby sighed. "That's more like Nanashi's style, though," she answered. "I mean, when it comes to fighting, he's way more skilled than I am."

"You're selling yourself short, sis." Yang shook her head. "While it's true Nanashi is a pretty good fighter. You're just as every bit as good as him."

"...you think so?"

She grinned widely. "I know so!" she said before she noticed the absence of her adopted brother. "Hey, where is he, anyway?"

Ruby giggled. "He took off running when he saw you coming this way."

"Aw man...!" She pouted. "He always does this!"

 _'Well, I don't blame him...'_ If she were in Nanashi's position, she would run too for the sake of oxygen. Seriously...no matter what anyone said, those bear hugs were lethal!

"...the robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continued to evade authorities." the newscaster stated via holoscreen, which was visible on the lobby area of the Bulk Head. Rub immediately recognized the person who was shown on the screen,holding a mugshot. It was the man from the other day, only he was lacking his bowler hat. He had a cocky grin plastered across his face with a bruise on his left cheek, and a bandage on the right side of his jaw. "If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa."

The screen changed to the main news image, which showed a woman with gold eyes and white hair; the news anchor Lisa Lavender. "Thank you, Cyril. In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Right's protests turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony." Beside the news anchor was the image of various individuals, all of which sharing some form of animalistic feature to them, some of them holding up protests signs. It later changed to the image of a marker, a bloody red wolf with three marks behind it.

The White Fang. A terrorist organization formed for Faunus Equal Rights. It was originally a peaceful protest organization...until the change of leadership not too long ago. However, the news ended there, as the blonde-haired Huntress that had saved his and Ruby's life appeared in place of the news. "Hello," she greeted to all of the newcomers. "and welcome to Beacon."

Yang looked to Ruby, as she immediately recognized her. "Who's that?"

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

"Oh."

The woman continued to speak, the three listened intently. "You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task. Now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

With that, her image disappeared. What greeted them was nothing short but an breath-taking sight. Far off in the distance, they were able to see a castle-like structure with a bright light glowing at the apex center tower, almost like a beacon.

They were approaching Beacon Academy.

It was an amazing experience. They were seeing where they were going to be for the next four years...Yang and Ruby marveled at the sight while a blonde teen clad in a hoodie and armor turned away from the window looking sick. He ran past the two, clutching his mouth and nearly staggering. Yang giggled. "Guess the view isn't for everyone...I wonder what kind of people we're gonna meet?"

"I just hope they're better than vomit boy...ew, Yang! You've got puke all over your shoes!"

"What!? Gross!"

* * *

 _ **"...so that's Beacon, eh?"**_ Dagda said, seeing the large structure from Nanashi's smarphone. _**"Not bad...for a prison."**_

Nanashi sighed. "Why is it that you think schools are prisons?"

 ** _"Kid, they lock you up for hours on end, and make you do pointless tasks that have no use whatsoever. Therefore, prison."_**

"You're just saying that because you are stuck with me when it happens and don't have anything else to do." Nanashi stated blandly. "Besides...this is a combat school. It will probably have less boring lectures and more actual fighting."

The demon scoffed. _**"Which is utterly pointless...after all, what use is mere spars to a Godslayer who fought with the Creator God himself?"**_

"While that may be true...I had to retrain my body because it was regressed. And school was actually useful for that."

 _ **"...Well, I can't argue with that,"**_ Dagda said. _ **"Still, at least you have your demons with you. Speaking of that, you haven't told anyone that you can summon demons, right?"**_

Nanashi nodded. "Of course not," he said. "Last thing I need is a witch hunt on my ass. If people found out I could summon demons, who knows what they would do to me?"

"...Nanashi?" a voice called out from the side. The green-eyed boy turned away from his screen, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Is that you?"

"Weiss?"

The boy couldn't believe what he was seeing. Standing before him was a young woman two years older than him with an alabaster complexion. She had long, snow-white hair that fell to her knees tied up into a side ponytail. She was garbed in a white dress cut off mid thigh with a black lace on her chest. She wore a white long-sleeved top with a red interior and white boots that went up halfway up her shins. She wore a pair of line earrings and a silver pendant. Her icy-blue eyes were wide in surprise.

"It is you!" the girl, Weiss Schnee, said in both surprise and delight. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still at Signal?"

Nanashi managed to put on a smile as he shrugged. "Well, a lot happened, and I wound up two years ahead of everyone else," he told her. "Same with my sister. How about you? I thought your old man wouldn't allow you to do something like this?" Before she could answer, the boy suddenly noticed the small scar next to her eye, causing him to stare back in shock. He was left stunned for a moment before his eyes narrowed dangerously. "...Weiss, where did you get that scar?"

Immediately the girl pressed a hand to her scarred eye. "I-It's nothing...just a ...training accident. Nothing major..." She tried to wave it off.

"Weiss...if it was 'nothing major' then your aura would've healed it already." The boy shook his head. "What. Happened?"

The girl still looked reluctant to tell him, but Nanashi's gaze was certainly a frightening one. For a moment, one could notice both his eyes, the scar on his cheek, and the markings on his hand glowing, as if responding to his own rage. "...my father wasn't entirely supportive of my decision," Weiss relented. "So he wanted me to prove it."

Nanashi's mouth curled into a disgusted scowl. "He had you fight a Grimm, didn't he?"

"Y-Yeah...it was one of the company's latest experiments...it was a Grimm that possessed a giant suit of armor."

His scowl grew by the second. "And you didn't think to tell me about this?"

"Nanashi," Weiss retorted as she managed to put back on the face she had worn for nearly all of her life; the face of the haughty, yet noble heiress of the Schnee Dust Corporation. "If I had, chances are, you would have tried to kill my father. Despite the fact that I do not like him as much as you do, he is still my father. Besides, you and I both know you wouldn't get away with trying to kill one of the most influential people in Atlas."

"That doesn't make it any less worse, Weiss! Your his daughter for crying out loud!" Nanashi snapped back. He knew from experience that a true father would NEVER do that type of shit to his children. His mind recalled Asahi's father, Boss. While the man may have been rough with his daughter, it was only because he was looking out for her. He never truly approved of the idea of her becoming an actual Hunter, since she treated it much like a game, but he still supported her when he had little choice in the matter, since they were both praised by Flynn, the Liberator of Tokyo himself.

It angered him to know that someone like that was Weiss' father, someone who didn't care about her at all. What kind of father throws his daughter to the wolves?!

"Relax, Nanashi," Weiss said with a smug grin as she flipped her hair. "All I got was a scar, didn't I? Besides, when I become a Huntress, I won't have to listen to him prattle on anymore. I'll be able to live my own life, like my sister!"

Nanashi was still angry, but he allowed it to disperse, leaving it behind with a sigh. "If you say so."

Seeing that the matter was now closed, Weiss decided to change the subject. "So...how did you manage to get here two years early?"

"Long story short?" Nanashi smiled. "My dorky sister tried to stop a robbery by one Roman Torchwick, and our actions got recognized by Ozpin of all people."

Weiss' eyes widened. "Ozpin?!" she cried. "You're joking, right?!"

"Nope."

"That's...That's amazing! You got scouted by the Headmaster of Beacon himself!" Weiss exclaimed in amazement.

Nanashi shrugged. "Eh, wasn't all that." He blinked momentarily, realizing that he had said something similar before in the past.

 **[Attention, Passengers,]** the pilot's voice rung out from the PA. **[We will be arriving at Beacon shortly. Please gather all your belongings before exiting.]**

"Looks like we're just a few minutes away from a new chapter in our lives..." He mused.

Weiss nodded. "Indeed."

* * *

"...gah, this is one hell of a boring wait! Remind me again, why did I come here?"

"You were the one who said you wanted the thrill of adventure, Walter."

"Yes, I did, but this is not what I had in mind!" A young man with spiky black hair ran a hand down his face. Really...this REALLY wasn't what he meant...

Meanwhile, the one he spoke with, a teen his age with curly black hair that fell to his shoulders, had a peaceful smile. "Now now, Walter...I'm sure things will start to liven up."

"I hope so, Jonathan..." Walter muttered. "Otherwise, I'm gonna regret deciding to come with you."

Jonathan chuckled. "Didn't you come with me because it got you away from the General?"

"You can't prove that." Walter turned away.

"But I'm right, aren't I?" The rough-looking boy scowled as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, meanwhile the more noble-looking of the two laughed lightly as he turned to the academy, which sat on the cliff. "This is going to the beginning of a new story, you know," he said. "I'm curious to see where this story takes us."

"Che, you and your weird metaphors..." Walter scoffed before a grin formed across his face. "Me? I'm just here for the fun of it. Fighting Grimm, exploring the world...it's good sport!"

"That may be true, but I am more interested in the aspect of helping others in the rest of the world. A Huntsman's job is not only slaying Grimm, but to uphold the will of the people and help them." Johnathan stated.

Walter sighed. "You and your family's ideals...remind me again, how in the holy hell are you related to Jaune?"

"While I can see what you are getting at, I take offense to that remark." Johnathan frowned. "He may be a bit wet behind the ears, but he is still family.."

"Wet behind the ears? The guy doesn't even know how to hold a sword right! He's our age and he still doesn't have any combat experience."

While Jonathan wanted to refute it, Walter had a compelling argument. Jaune, while an Arc, still lacked any talent of combat. The closest he had ever gotten to holding a sword, much less fighting with it, was the one time he and Jonathan sparred. He had offered to teach him, but Jaune had turned him down, in favor of studying. A sigh escaped Jonathan as he shook his head. "Fair point," he conceded. "But regardless, he is still my brother, so I would appreciate it if you didn't speak of him in such a manner."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Walter waved it off. It's not like he disliked Jaune...he was a cool guy. But he was pretty much dead meat if he ever encountered a Grimm.

Jonathan sighed again, and looked back at Beacon. His amber eyes narrowed, and his hand clenched into a fist. "This is where it all begins..."

* * *

"Looks like they're all arriving," Ozpin noted from his desk, looking out past the window to his office as he took a swift drink of his mug. "Our latest arrivals."

"Indeed." Glynda nodded. "Based on the entrance forms, it seems like James' son is also among the new students."

Ozpin paused briefly, looking over his shoulder, and stared at Glynda with bewilderment. "...James' boy?" he asked, completely dumbfounded. "Your certain?"

"Hard not to recognize that wild look of his, I'm afraid," Glynda sighed as she showed the young man in question on her Scroll. The student, Walter Ironwood, was seventeen years old, and as she described, he had a wild look to him, possessing spiky black hair and a feral-like grin on his face, wearing a blue choker around his neck. His buttoned shirt was left nearly undone, sans the last couple of buttons near the hem, and wore worn out and faded jeans with several tears, complete with mud-splattered boots. Strapped to his waist was a large scimitar, made of black steel with a dark red edge. "And to be frank, I'm not surprised he decided to attend Beacon."

Ozpin nodded solemnly. "Neither am I," he replied. "I understand we have someone from the Arc family here as well?"

"Yes. Jonathan Arc, the Class Valedictorian," Glynda answered. Instantly, his face was now on the screen, revealing a well-dressed young man with black hair that fell to his shoulders, done in a curly fashion, and possessed orange eyes. He had a yellow ascot, followed by a dark navy blue jacket with white trims, along with a bracer on his left arm, accompanied by a black fingerless glove on his right hand, and had on black trousers, complete with black boots that had dark blue accents and white soles, reaching up to his knees. Attached to the belt on his hip was a long sword, easily as long as his arm by the blade alone, held in place with a black sheathe. "He graduated at the top of his class. I've seen his combat records...he's quite extraordinary."

"Indeed." Ozpin nodded. "From what I heard, he is the heir to the Arc Legacy. He may be skilled, but that is a lot of weight to put on the shoulders on a boy."

"It also says here that he is a close companion of Walter Ironwood. They have been friends since childhood." Glynda read more from his profile.

The Headmaster took in this information, taking another drink of his coffee. "Also," Glynda continued, moving on to another student's profile, this one being that of Nanashi Xiao Long. "Regarding Taiyang's adopted son..."

Ozpin turned to see his assistant, raising an eyebrow as a glare became reflected in her glass. "...there are no records of there ever being a young boy named Nanashi from anything past ten years ago."

The Headmaster maintained even eye contact with her for a moment. Then he took another sip from his mug. "I see..."

No records of him existing beyond the time he was taken in by Summer and Taiyang...a curious detail. Just who is Nanashi Xiao Long? He has no aura. He has no records past a decade ago...he is the most unusual boy indeed...

Unknown to the two, there was someone listening to their conversation from behind the door. "Fufufu..." the figure chuckled. "So, they're aware that Bhagavaan Kalki is not truly from here. I suppose I'll report to Dagda then."

 ** _"Hsss..."_**

"Now now, Shesha...you know what our Bhagavaan desires. Besides...this could be interesting, if the ones who became Lucifer and Merkabah are in this world."

With that said, the voices ceased, and the figure vanished.

* * *

-Of Godslayers and Dust: END-

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _"You dolt! What are you doing?!"_

 _"I see you've met my dorky sister..."_

 _"Long time no see, Jonathan."_

 _"Hoy there! I guess we're partners now. I'm Walter Ironwood. Good to meet you!"_

 _Next Time: Initiation and Revelation_


	2. Chapter 2

_"Hey, Nanashi? When you get older, what will you do?"_

 _..._

 _"...if you don't have any goals, why don't you and I become Hunters?"_

 _..._

 _"Come on! I'm serious! Everyone treats us like kids! ...okay, we are kids, but they can't treat us like that forever!"_

 _..._

 _"...hey, Nanashi? Can I tell you something?"_

 _..._

 _"I...I'm...sorry."_

* * *

RWBY: Final Judgment

* * *

interludium II: Initiation and Revelation

As soon as the bulkhead touched down on the ground, everyone began to pour out of the door. Some had been too excited and rushed out immediately, wanting to be the first that got a good look at the new school. Others simply strode out calmly, yet with anticipation clear in their eyes. One of the new arrivals had practically bolted out the door as soon as it opened, dashing towards a trash can and dumping the contents of his stomach into it, wrenching violently. Nanashi winced at this as he passed by, noting that the poor sap was probably suffering from motion sickness, and shrugged his shoulders. He then followed out the door, moving with the rest of the students. Weiss was a bit behind, getting her luggage in order. Meanwhile, he had failed to notice Yang and Ruby moving out with the rest of the students. As soon as they found themselves staring at the mouth of the school, they could only marvel at the grand scenery. They had to say, up close, Beacon was far more impressive than what the papers said it was. "Whoooooa..." Yang and Ruby said in awe, looking at the long pathway leading up to the school. The pathway was lined with trees, all with branches colored a light shade of red to represent the current season. "The view from Vale's got nothing on this." Yang commented, taking in the sights as she looked around the school grounds. The school itself was vast in size, especially from the towering structure actually behind it, also likely to be apart of the school. Several lush areas were also surrounding it, providing a sense of serenity and peace and tranquility, likely to provide a sense of peace and quiet to the students.

"Ooh! Ooh! Yang!" Ruby's excited shout caused her to look at her as her form seemingly became smaller, her eyes in the form of sparkles, seemingly floating into the air as a student passed by. "That kid's got a collapsible staff!" she waved her arms around excitedly, hearts pulsing above her head before another student passed by, this time carrying a blade wreathed in flames. Ruby's face grew even more excited as she clung to her arm. "A-and she's got a fire sword!"

She floated off her arm to follow and get a closer look, but Yang grabbed her by the hood and dragged her back, turning her back to normal. "Easy there, Rubes. They're just weapons." The blonde bombshell shrugged.

"Just weapons...? JUST weapons?" Ruby looked at her sister as if she grew a second head...or her hair was cut short. "They are NOT 'just weapons'! They are a part of us, a part of how we live! They are extensions of ourselves! They protect us, fight with us, keep us warm and comfy at night!"

Yang quirked an eyebrow. "If your that into weapons, why not geek over your own weapon?"

Smiling, Ruby pulled out her weapon and unfolded it into its scythe form. "Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose~" She snuggled against the shaft of her weapon. "I just like meeting new ones. It's like meeting new people...but better."

"Ruby, weapons don't equal friends."

The scythe meister tilted her head. "Why would I need friends when I've got you?"

"Well..." Yang looked to the side. Suddenly a mass of people covered in shadows appeared around her. "Actually my friends are here now we gotta catch up see ya, bye!" She spoke rapidly as she and the mass of people sped away further towards the school.

he sudden commotion sent the poor hooded girl spinning. "W-Wait, where are you going? Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?" She was close to collapsing from the dizziness. "...I don't know what I'm doing." Then the fell backward, knocking over a pile of luggage.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" a shrill voice admonished.

"S-sorry..." Ruby apologized as she looked up. It was a young girl, dressed primarily in light blue, white, and some red. She wore a pale blue bolero jacket over a similarly colored thigh-length dress with a piece of black lace making up the neckline of the dress. The inside of the bolero was red and the sleeves turn blue as they get closer to her wrists. The back of the bolero displayed a familiar crest, which bore a resemblance to a snowflake. Similar to Ruby, she wore a combat skirt(?). She wore an apple-shaped necklace along with a pair of thin, rectangular earrings. She had white, heeled wedge boots that go to mid-calf; the insides were also lined with red. Her long white hair was pulled back in an off-center ponytail, at the base of which is a small tiara that resembles icicles. She had a pale complexion and ice blue eyes. She also bore a crooked scar down her left eye. She also wore a small bag on the back of her dress, wrapped around her waist with a ribbon.

"Sorry?" the girl scoffed. "Do you have any idea of the damage you could've caused?!" Ruby didn't understand any of it as she took one of the white cases, handing it to the girl, who snatched it away from her. "This is Dust mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry." she informed her as she checked the contents, seeing all the vials within safe and sound without a scratch.

"Uh..." Ruby was still slightly dazed from the impact as her eyes were like swirls.

The girl glared at her, almost seethingly. "What are you, brain dead?!" she snapped as she removed one of the vials. "Dust! Fire, Water, Lightning, energy!" she stated as she swung the vial around. She failed to notice the powder that was flowing out, a result of the cork on the vial coming loose slightly from the impact when the cases knocked into Ruby. Unfortunately, due to the fact she was shaking the vial around, the dust leaked from the container and into the air, tickling the silver eyed girl's nose. "Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in?" More dust leaked from the vial. The twitching grew worse. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"A-ah... Ahh..."

Finally, the small traces of dust finally settled inside Ruby's nose, and-

"ACHOO!"

The girl sneezed, igniting the dust in the air. An explosion of fire, electricity, and ice was triggered and engulfed the two.

* * *

 **"...what in the hell was that?"** Dagda asked as Nanashi felt the earth tremble beneath his feet for a brief moment. **"It sounded like that damned sister of yours blew something up again."**

The Godslayer sighed. "Knowing my luck," he muttered as he looked around, finding a small trail of black smoke rising into the air not far from his location. "She probably did."

 **"Seriously? Can't she go five minutes without making explosions or getting in trouble from her heroics?"**

"Apparently not." Nanashi shook his head. "C'mon. Might as well see what trouble she got herself into this time." Dagda shrugged from his place of residence, thus leaving Nanashi to investigate. When he found Ruby, he face-palmed. His adopted sister was on the ground, slightly covered in soot...and in front of her was a very angry Weiss Schnee. "Of all the luck..."

"You...Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" She scolded, referring to the explosion. Finally the soot shook off her body, leaving her normal again.

"I'm really, really sorry!" Ruby apologized meekly, pressing her fingers together.

"Ugh! You complete, dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?" Weiss leered, giving Ruby a cold glare. "We're training to become warriors! This is no place for children!"

"W-well excuse me!" Ruby snapped. Honestly, what was this girl's problem?! "And who are you supposed to be anyway?! A princess?!"

"An heiress, actually."

Both paused in their argument and turned to one side, seeing a girl approach them. She had long, wavy black hair that end at her mid back with a black bow sitting on top of her head. Her eyes were golden amber, almost like a cat's. She was dressed in a sleeveless white blouse that exposed her midriff with a black vest over it. She also wore white shorts with leggings that transitioned from black to purple on the way down and black combat boots with metal studs around the top. Around her neck was a black scarf. She had a single black, sleeve on her left arm that extended to her upper bicep while both of her wrists had black bandages wrapped around them like bands. Sheathed at her back seemed to be a sword of some kind. In her hands were a brown covered book and the missing vial of dust.

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world..."

"Finally, some recognition!-" Weiss stated smugly.

"...The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners." The girl finished.

Instantly, her smug smile fell into displeasure.

"Why you...!"

Nanashi sighed, deciding to intervene. "Alright, Weiss," he called out, walking over to the three girls. "Quit trying to pick fights with everyone on the first day."

The faces of both Ruby and Weiss perked up upon seeing the teen. ""Nanashi!"" The two then stopped and looked at one another. ""How do you know him?""

The teen smiled wryly. "I see you've met my dorky sister..."

This statement stirred different reactions from the two. Ruby puffed her cheeks in a pout while Weiss whipped her head between the two.

"Hey! I'm not dorky!"

"You...you two are siblings?!"

Nanashi nodded. "Weiss, this is my adopted sister, Ruby," he introduced the weapon's dork. "Ruby, this is Weiss. She's the girl I met when Uncle Qrow took me to Atlas."

Ruby's eyes widened, staring at Weiss, who likewise stared back at her in utter dumbfoundment. "H-how, what?!"

"Wait, she's the girl you got together with when we weren't looking?!"

"WE'RE NOT LIKE THAT, OKAY?!" The white haired girl yelled, her face flushed red.

Nanashi sighed. "I swear...the next time I see Qrow..."

The reason behind Ruby's words were due to Qrow. Nanashi and Weiss had met when the scythe master responsible for teaching Ruby had decided to show Nanashi around the world, the first stop being Atlas, the militant country. Back then, Nanashi had put on the facade of having amnesia due to the incident that left him in near death, thus Qrow took it upon himself for the boy to get reacquainted with the world. Atlas was a state governed by both it's council and military, which was shown with it's academy. The students were not taught to be heroes or warriors, they were taught to be soldiers. As it happened, Qrow was tasked with guarding a shipment of goods from the Schnee Dust Corporation.

And during that job, Nanashi had met 11-year-old Weiss Schnee, and her intimidating older sister, Winter. All he really remembered from the encounter was that the two adults talked...then yelled at one another...then finally brought out their weapons and clashed. He wasn't interested in what was happening, so instead, he talked with Weiss. At first, she didn't really like him. Who could blame her? Given his attitude and his haircut, she pegged him for a delinquent when she first saw him. But then they talked and held a steady conversation. He didn't remember how, but he managed to get her to laugh a few times. By the time Qrow and Winter were about to get really violent, a man dressed in white with a rather intimidating look to him, Ironwood he believed his name was, stepped in and stopped it. He didn't remember much after that, but he and Weiss kept in touch, exchanging e-mails and whatnot.

It still surprised him to know that his smartphone could connect to Scrolls, but he chalked it up to Dagda, as he was a god of knowledge and whatnot.

At any rate, he wasn't sure what Qrow had told his adopted parents and siblings, but it seemed like they were under the impression that he and Weiss were going out. After so many years, he thought that they had all forgotten about it.

Obviously, not.

"Ruby," Nanashi looked at his sister, folding his arms. "Weiss and I aren't dating."

The silver-eyed girl gave him a suspicous look. "Are you suuuure?"

The green eyed teen deadpanned. "I am sure. And right now, you are starting to sound like Yang."

Weiss, for her part, was still having trouble comprehending this situation. How could this klutz be Nanashi's sister?!

"What?! I am not like Yang!"

"Yes, you are," Nanashi retorted. "Seriously...what is it with my sister's and my love life?" He then frowned at her, a slight glare forming. "Also, what did you do THIS time?"

Ruby snapped out of her stupor regarding Nanashi and Weiss, and blushed. "It-it was an accident!"

"Nearly blowing us off the side of the cliff is hardly an accident!" Weiss snapped as she marched over to the black-haired girl, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, and swiped the vial in her hand. "Now, if you excuse me...!"

She turned on her heel and briskly walked away. But not before saying bye to Nanashi.

Ruby's face dropped as she leaped up to her feet. "I-I promise to make it up to you!" she shouted at Weiss. However, the heiress ignored her, causing her to sigh at the retreating form of Weiss schnee. "Looks like I'm not the only one having a rough first day." she muttered before turning to the black-haired girl. "So what's-?"

The girl was gone.

Again, she sighed dejectedly as she fell on her rear tiredly. "Welcome to Beacon..." she muttered before feeling someone standing over her. Looking up, it was the blonde-haired boy from earlier, holding his hand out to her.

"H-hey." he greeted. "I'm Jaune."

"...Ruby." the girl smiled as she pulled herself up, accepting his hand. She then cocked her head to the side. "...aren't you the guy who threw up on the ship?"

Jaune hung his head in dejection while Nanashi gave a shadow of a grin.

* * *

"...look, all I'm saying is, motion sickness is more common than you think!"

"Hey, I'm sorry, but vomit boy was the first thing that came to mind!"

"Speak for yourself, crater face."

"N-Nanashi!" Ruby pouted. Now her own brother was calling her that accursed nickname too?!

"Hey, I'm just saying it like it is. You DID cause a dust explosion after all..."

"It wasn't my fault!"

"Yeah, sure, just like the explosion you made back in the sixth grade wasn't your fault, either."

Jaune chuckled. "You know, for one of you being adopted and all, you really do act like siblings." he said smiling. "Sort of reminds me of my own family."

"Really?"

"Yep," he smiled. "Oh, didn't introduce myself properly, huh? Name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, and the ladies love it~"

Nanashi sweat-dropped. "...do they?"

"Th-They will...At least, I hope they will..." His confidence dwindled as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I-I mean my mom thinks so, so..." The two's stare became rather uncomfortable. "You know what, never mind."

The conversation died down immediately after, being replaced by awkward silence. Ruby decided to break it.

"Sooo...uh...I got this thing."

She whipped out Crescent Rose to its scythe form and stabbed the blade into the ground. Jaune yelped in fright, jumping back while Nanashi sighed. "Ruby...This is why your social life is awkward as hell." he shook his head in exasperation. "Who in their right mind would randomly show off their weapon in order to start a conversation out of the blue?"

"What?" she frowned. "I made herself, so I think I should be entitled to showing it off."

Jaune's eyes widened. "Wait, YOU made that?!"

"Yep," Ruby grinned. "Meet Crescent Rose! She's my sweetheart~ Oh, and she's also High-Caliber Sniper Scythe!"

Jaune blinked.

"It's also a gun."

"O-oh..."

"How about you, Jaune?" Ruby asked curiously. "What do you have?"

"Well, uh...I-I got this." He unsheathed a double edged sword from his hip. It was standard in design, possessing a normal blue handle and gold pommel and guard. From the Godslayer's observation, it seemed to be an antique, given the choice of weapons in modern society. But even then, the blade of the weapon remained sharp.

"Oh?"

"And I got this shield too..." He grabbed the sheathe from his hip and pressed a button, allowing the scabbard to unfold out into a shield. But as he did so, the item jumped out of his hands, resulting him in playing an awkward game of hot potato before catching it.

"Wow..." Ruby breathed. "So, what do they do?"

"W-well, the sword's pretty much what it looks like, nothing fancy." Jaune said as he sheathed it. "And as for the shield, I can make it smaller, so it makes it easy to carry around."

Nanashi raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it still heavy?"

"Y-yeah..." Jaune sighed, putting his shield away. "H-how about you, Nanashi? What weapon do you got? Let me guess, something cool like Ruby's scythe of death?"

"Not a scythe...but I have my own instrument of Death." The green eyes teen shook his head. In a swift motion, he unsheathed the black katana that he had strapped to his back. The blade was as black as the night sky. Its edge was so sharp it seemed to cut the air around it. "It's not a transformable weapon...but Kamikira is a true embodiment of carnage."

Jaune was left staring at the blade in awe, feeling slightly jealous before tilting his head. "Kami...kira?"

"In my homeland's language," Nanashi explained. "Kamikira means God Killer."

"G-God...Killer...?" Jaune gulped. The very name sounded quite ominous.

Ruby giggled. "And you tell me I have a problem with naming weapons."

 **"Heh,"** Dagda chuckled. **"If only she knew why you picked that name in the first place."**

"S-so, uh... do either of you guys know where the auditorium is?"

"Huh? No...I thought you knew."

"Well, fortunately for the BOTH of you..." Nanashi stated as he took out his small note book. "The auditorium should be the large building on the left from where we stand now."

Ruby smiled widely. "You are the best, Nanashi!"

Jaune sighed in relief, and the three left.

* * *

"Oh, Nanashi! Ruby! I saved you guys spots!" Yang waved out to them amongst the crowd.

"Oh, there's our sister!" Ruby cheered. She was both happy and irritated to see Yang, the latter being because she practically left her to her lonesome. "Well, it was nice talking with you, Jaune. Later!" she bowed her head, and went after Yang.

Jaune sighed, drooping his head low. "Great..." he muttered "Now where am I supposed to find a nice, quirky girl to talk to?" It was now he only realized that Nanashi was still presented, and immediately panicked. "N-not that I'm trying to hit on your sister or anything! Honest! I-it's just that, well, um..."

The green-eyed teen smiled wryly, holding up a hand to stop him. "It's fine, Jaune." he told him. He noticed a girl with red hair staring at them, having overheard Jaune's comment. "Besides, who knows? You might find one closer than you think."

"Eh?"

"It's nothing." he told him before bidding him farewell. He then joined his sisters.

The blonde knight watched him leave while he scratched his head. What did he mean by that? "Talk about a weird guy..."

* * *

"So," Yang smiled widely. "I see you two made friends with Vomit Boy."

"Yeah," Ruby rolled her eyes before giving the blonde a mock glare. "Right after you ditched me and I exploded!"

She winced. "Ooh, that bad of a first day, huh?"

"I'm being serious, Yang!" Ruby pouted. "I ran into a girl who yelled at me for some reason, I inhaled something, I sneezed, and it blew up in my face! There-there was ice, fire and I think electricity everywhere, and then she yelled at me again, and I really really wanted her to stop!"

Nanashi sighed. "Yep, that's Weiss for ya..."

"Who?"

Just as Nanashi was about to answer, a familiar mass of white hair popped up behind Ruby, and yelled. "YOU!"

"AAAH!" In a fit of fright, Ruby jumped up, landing in Yang's arms. "Oh god, it's happening again!"

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff, you dunce!"

The blonde brawler's eyes widened, staring at Ruby in utter shock. "Oh my god you really exploded."

"I could have told you that," Nanashi grumbled before sighing again. "Alright, Weiss, I think you've scared my sister enough."

"But she...!"

"I know." Nanashi held up a hand.

Weiss still looked as if she wanted to protest, but relented. She still gave Ruby a glare before she thrusted a packet into her hands, much to her confusion. "W-what's this?" Ruby stuttered, looking at it. "How To Use Dust...For Dummies?"

"Yes. I suggest you take it and study it thoroughly."

Nanashi couldn't help but snicker. "Better take her advice, Ruby," he said teasingly. "After all, we don't need a repeat of what happened back at Signal eight months ago."

Ruby groaned. "For the last time," she stressed. "It was an ACCIDENT!"

"You blew up the science lab. You were banned from handling Dust for a month!" The boy countered.

"Again, an accident!"

Yang sighed, shaking her head. "And here we go," she muttered, practically used to this routine before she looked at Weiss. "So, how do you know my little bro, anyway?"

The ivory haired girl turned to her. "We met a few years ago, when he uncle took him to visit Atlas. I was with my idler sister at the time and they crossed paths and then...well..."

Lilac eyes narrowed. "...aaah, so you're the girl he hooked up with all those years ago."

"For the love of-!" Weiss growled. "We are not like that, okay?! We're friends! That's it! I swear, whoever says we're going out next...!"

"Are you suuuuure?"

Her rambling was cut short when the feedback of a microphone resonated throughout the room. Everyone turned their attention to the podium. There, Ozpin and Glynda stood on the stage. The silver haired man stepped forward and opened his mouth to speak. "Ahem...I'll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far...It is up to you to take the first step."

The group looked slightly bewildered at his statement. Nanashi, however, found himself in agreement. Everyone here (well mostly everyone) believed that, by learning here, they would obtain the skills they needed to make the world a better place, or at the very least, get stronger for whatever reason. He didn't know why people would want to obtain strength, though it wasn't hard to figure that out. Some wanted power for personal gain, and others, for their own benefit. Either way, Ozpin's statement rung true. Everyone was wasting their energy for idiotic things. They were fools who had no idea what they wanted in life. As for himself...he was still lost on what he truly wanted. He had been so close to achieving his goal of a new world, one where his friends would be alive, yet that prospect was robbed of him because YHVH decided to be a sore loser. Since then, he had simply gone along with the whims of others, choosing to become a Huntsman in order to see more of the world, to find some new purpose, at the very least, a way back home. Soon, the man made his exit, though as Ozpin nodded his head to them, he gave a glance to him and Ruby. For a moment, the two locked eyes, a smoldering intensity present between the two of them before their contact broke. As the man left the podium, Glynda walked up to the microphone.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

That said, the chatter resumed, and the crowd of people moved away. As they did, the three siblings followed after them. "What was up with that?" Yang asked with a frown. "Kinda seemed like he wasn't all there."

"I don't know." Ruby shook her head. "Maybe he's tired?"

Dagda scoffed. **"The man's probably had to deal with these brats' admissions,"** he said. **"So, stuck here for four years just for some lousy title...why even bother with this, kid? Compared to these idiots, your stronger than all of them. Hell, none of these brats, especially little miss Snow White over there, wouldn't even stand a chance in hell against what's outside of the Kingdoms. None of this could even compare to the hell that was Tokyo, so why bother even going through with this?"**

"Because it's necessary," Nanashi stated as he closed his eyes. "If I can obtain a Huntsman license, I can travel the kingdoms without restriction, and take on jobs that might have some idea as to how I can go back home." He paused briefly. "...if there is a way home. That, and a little training never hurt anyone."

 **"I guess I can see your point. But I still think it would be a waste of time looking for a way home, kid. Like I said before, this place is not connected to the Axiom. It's completely cut off from our home."**

The young teen's hands balled into fists. He knew Dagda, had a point...but he still refused to believe it. He didn't want to believe that all of the sacrifices...the hardship...the betrayal...was all for nothing. He made a promise to himself...to everyone...to Asahi that he would make a new world, free from the influence of Gods. No matter what, he would make that world a reality. He had gone far in that goal of his, killing Fujiwara and Skins, the Hunters Association, the Samurai of the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, the Ashura-kai, and even the Ring of Gaea. He refused to let those sacrifices be in vain. He had to find a way back to his world.

"If there is a way, I'll find it," Nanashi stated firmly. "And if there isn't...well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

* * *

It was night-time in the ballroom, with several students cramped inside. Several people were gathered, all packed in a single room. Various lamps were lit to provide illumination for them, which Ruby was grateful for, as she was lying on her stomach, a paper in front of her with a pencil in her hand. She was in the process of writing a letter to her friends back at Signal, as she had promised to do so when they learned that she was graduating Signal two years ahead of them. Needless to say, everyone was ecstatic for her, and wanted to know everything about it.

"Whatcha doing, little sis?" Yang asked, coming up from behind her. "Writing a letter?"

"Mm." she nodded. "Back to my friends at Signal. I promised I would write back to them on my first day."

"Aw...that is sooo cute~" Yang was greeted to a pillow in the face.

"Shut up! I wasn't able to bring any of my friends with me!" Ruby pouted.

"Oh, come on..." her sister said coolly as she removed the pillow from her face. "What about Jaune? I'm sure he counts as a friend."

Ruby sighed. "And I'm sure Weiss counts as a negative friend, so I'm back to zero." she mumbled, hanging her head low.

"Oh, come on...I'm sure she isn't that bad. Hey, she's friend's with Nanashi, right? So that ought to mean something. Plus, that doesn't count. It just means you have one friend, and one enemy."

Another pillow impacted her face. "I thought you said it didn't count!" Ruby pouted.

"Just saying~"

The girl wearing the rose petal pajama bottoms puffed her cheeks in annoyance before looking around. "By the way, where did Nanashi go?"

"He said he wanted to take a walk around the campus," Yang answered before she looked around the grand hall. "Gotta admit, though. There's a LOT of people here." She grinned widely. "It's like a slumber party!"

"Not sure Dad would approve of all the boys though."

"I know I do~" Yang said lecherously, looking around and ogling the many hot bodies in the room before her eyes fell on Jaune, who was wearing a light blue onesie. Her face dropped while he raised an eyebrow, tilting his head before smiling and waving at her. The girl waved back weakly. By chance, however, as she looked away, she found something that made her drool. "Hellooooo beautiful~" The student in question was a teen with his upper body exposed, and boy, did she enjoy the view. He was very well-toned, packing a six-pack, as well as an athletic build. His black hair was short but wild, and wore only a pair of white shirts. Sadly, he was in the process of putting on a black tank-top, but still, at least she got a good look at the heat he was packing. "Oooooh yeah, I'm gonna love Beacon!"

Ruby shook her head at her sisters antics. She then went back to writing. However, as she did, she noticed someone out of the corner of her eye. "...wait, is that...?" She turned to Yang, tugging on her shirt. "Yang, over there. Isn't that...?"

"Huh?" Yang looked over to where her sister pointed. As soon as she did, her eyes widened in recognition and disbelief. "No way...!"

Not far from them was a young man, 17 years of age, possessing unruly black hair that fell down to his shoulders, and dark red eyes, which had a lazy look to them. He wore a gray dress shirt with a black cape with red accents and a high collar. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to the forearms while wearing black fingerless gloves, leaving the knuckles exposed. Around his wrists, he wore black bands with red stripes. Additionally, he wore black slacks with leather shoes, with a belt with silver studs hanging off lazily to the side.

And currently, from the look of things, he was trying to woo a girl with a red tail flicking back and forth, as well as a pair of red ears atop her eyes. The girl looked to be falling into his pace given her giggles and flushed face.

"It totally is!" Yang exclaimed as she leaped up to her feet. "Yo, Cris! Quit chatting up your girlfriend and give your cousins some love, will ya?!"

The flirting teen flinched, his look of confidence becoming replaced by one of anxiety. He whipped his head around and squeaked upon seeing them, well...more so Yang than Ruby.

"Ah, crap..."

"Oh, are they friends of yours?"

"C-cousins, actually...hey, can we talk later?"

"Sure!"

"Thank you!" The boy sighed and relief as he bowed courteously at the girl, who giggled at his gentlemanly display. He then stood up and quickly moved over to where the girls were in the ballroom.

As soon as he arrived, Yang gave him a wink. "What up, lady-killer?"

"Hello to you too..." 'Cris' Nightingale Branwen sighed in greeting as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Jesus, you scared the hell out of me like that!"

"Well could you blame me? I was surprised you were even in the same room! Why didn't you tell Rubes and I you were enrolling in Beacon too?!"

Cris chuckled sheepishly at this. Truth be told, he had honestly not expected to run into them...that, and partially because he honestly didn't want to run into Yang, more out of preference than anything else, really. "It was more of a last minute thing," he said. "Dad decided that I needed to expand my horizons, so he dumped me here," he answered with a shrug before smiling at the two sisters. "So, how's life treating you girls?"

"Good!" Ruby chirped with a grin. "It's even better knowing our favorite cousin's here with us!"

"Speaking of that...how'd you end up here two years early, Ruby?" Cris asked. "Last I checked, you're still fifteen."

The girl chuckled awkwardly. "Funny story behind that..." she said before curiosity took over. "Now, let me answer your question with my question; why are you still in your day clothes?"

Cris fell silent.

"...you forgot your pajamas, didn't you?" Yang deadpanned. "Be honest."

"...shut up. Don't judge!" Cris folded his arms and turned away. Both sisters giggled at his confession. Cris was still the same as ever...

"So, how is Uncle Qrow doing anyway?"

"He's doing the same as always. Y'know, hunting bad guys, doing Huntsmen duties, slaying Grimm...drinking his ass off..." Cris cringed slightly at the last one. "Seriously, you'd think an accomplished old man like him could take his job seriously, but he instead he'd rather take a swig of booze." Yang shrugged simply, not really caring about her uncle's habits. "Anyway...if Ruby's here, then does that mean Ashi's here too?"

"Call me that nickname again, and that girl you were chatting up is going to learn about every other girl you flirted with."

"Gyagh!"

The raven haired male jumped up in fright as he turned around. He was greeted with Nanashi's annoyed visage. "Hey, little bro," Yang greeted with a wink. "So where have you been off to?"

"Just taking a walk. Getting some fresh air." He shrugged. He then redirected his attention to the startled teen. "Good to see you again, Cris."

"Y-yeah, nice to see you again too," Cris sighed in relief. "Good grief, what is it with you and Yang scaring the hell out of me?"

"Technically," Nanashi pointed out. "You're scared of Yang because she looks just like your aunt." A frown settled on his face as he folded his arms over his chest. "Seriously, I don't see how you can be scared of her just because of that. Sure, they're mother and daughter, but..."

"Look man, until you've met my aunt and dealt with her, then you wouldn't understand!" Cris shouted, eyes wide with fear. "I have to look over my shoulder to see if that demon is standing behind me nearly every day!"

The green-eyed Godslayer raised an eyebrow at this, and then looked at Yang. "...do you know what your mother did to him?"

"No." Yang shook her head with a frown. "I haven't even found her yet!"

The cousin to the sisters gave them a deadly serious look. "For your sake, Yang, I hope you never do," he said, a glint crossing his eyes. "She's a nightmare...a nightmare I tell you!"

"Please, Cris," Ruby rolled her eyes with a giggle. "Your exaggerating. I'm sure Auntie isn't THAT bad."

"That's because you never met her..." He shuddered.

The three looked at him, ranging between varied emotions of confusion, amusement, and befuddlement. Just what exactly had Yang's mother had done to him? For as long as they've known Cris, he has always been terrified of Raven Branwen. Why, no one knew, however his fear was greatly rooted. None of the siblings were even aware that they even had a cousin until Qrow had introduced him to them when they were 13 and 15 respectively.

The first time Cris saw Yang, he screamed. Like, he REALLY screamed. His voice was so high pitched one would mistake it for a banshee's wail. He also fled and ran up a tree and held onto a hanging branch for dear life. It had taken at least an hour to get him down. Even then, he still tried to stay several feet away from the blonde brawler. The children couldn't understand why Cris seemed to be so terrified of Yang. They had never met, so why would he be so scared of her? Then Qrow explained it to them that due to a certain incident with his sister, Raven, Cris was absolutely terrified of the woman. Due to Yang's uncanny resemblance to her mother, the young Branwen had mistaken her for Raven, thus resulting in his natural reaction to her.

The children sweat dropped at his antics, wondering what Yang's mother did to result in such behavior from Cris. To this day, they were still unaware, but they had not pressed the issue. Regardless of their current relationship at the time, Cris still got along well with them. He would often send them messages about the places he had been to while traveling with his father. However, in his recent messages, he had said nothing about his placement here in Beacon, which said volumes about his statement about it being last second. Quite frankly, Nanashi wouldn't have been surprised if the old drunkard tossed Cris on the first flight out to the school without telling him anything.

"Well, dear auntie Raven aside," Nanashi decided to move the topic away, much to Cris' pleasure. "How about you? How have you been?"

"Eh, same old same old," Cris shrugged. "Traveling with dad, taking in the view, enjoying the cuisine..." he paused briefly as a wide smile formed on his face. "...and the beautiful Faunus locals~"

Nanashi groaned while Yang gave him a thumbs-up of approval. Ruby raised an eyebrow, but shrugged her shoulders before she noticed a familiar face sitting close to the wall. "Wait, is that...?" she muttered, earning the attention of her siblings and cousin. They turned, and saw the black-haired girl from before. "That's the girl from earlier..."

Cris tilted his head. "Someone you know?"

"Y-yeah, sort of...I ran into her after I blew up."

Yang then got an idea, the gears in her head turning. "That's perfect! Another potential friend for you!" She jumped up and grabbed Ruby by the arm.

"W-whoa!" Ruby yelped, being pulled. "Y-Yang, what are you doing?!"

"We're going to meet a new friend~" She said in a sing-song voice. It was too late. Yang shoved the poor girl in front of the black-haired girl, who noticed her as she was being dragged by the busty blonde. She raised an eyebrow, looking up from her book. "...can I help you?"

"Hello there!" Yang grinned.

"Uh, hi..." Ruby meekly waved.

The girl seemed to Ruby, as she raised a curious eyebrow. "...weren't you the girl that nearly blew up?"

"Y-Yeah that's me! My name is Ruby! But you can call me crater face-nevermind."

"And I'm Yang!" the brawler grinned. "I understand you two are acquainted?"

"You could say that..." The girl shrugged. Honestly, they only saw each other in passing at best. She chose to return her attention back to the book in her hands.

"So...what's your name?" Yang asked with a smile.

A soft sigh of annoyance passed her lips. She averted her amber eyes to look at them. "Blake."

"So, Blake...uh...I like your bow." Yang offered.

"Thank you."

"It looks great with your...robe."

Blake didn't even look up from her book. "...right..." she mumbled, turning the page.

"N-nice night, don't you think?" she asked, her grin turning shaky. Obviously, she was starting to realize that this was a bad idea.

The girl shrugged. "It's lovely." she said. "Almost as lovely as this book." She looked up at the two, amber meeting silver and lilac. "Which I will continue to read." They narrowed, almost threateningly so. From where he stood, Nanashi could have sworn he saw her bow twitch. "As soon as you leave." With that, she turned back to her book, clearly going to ignore them for the rest of the night.

Yang sighed. "Yeah, this gal's a lost cause." she decided as she turned around. "C'mon, Ruby. Let's-"

"What's it about?" The question caught the girl off guard. She blinked, looking up at Ruby, who looked genuinely curious. "Your book." she clarified. "What's it about?"

"Um..." Blake paused for a moment, setting her book down. "It's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body."

Strangely, when Nanashi heard that, he couldn't help but recall his situation with Navarre. While his life wasn't exactly what the book was like, nor the struggle, he did have to deal with a green poltergeist hanging around him 24/7 almost daily.

Ruby smiled widely. "I practically grew up on books," she recalled fondly, remembering her time with Yang back when they were younger. "Yang used to read to us every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters; they're one of the reasons why I want to be a Huntress."

"Why's that?" Blake smirked wryly. "Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

"I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I want to be just like those heroes in the books. Someone who fought for what's right, and who protected the people who couldn't defend themselves."

Blake, now truly interested, bookmarked her book, and closed it, setting it down beside her. "That's very ambitious for a child," she said with a tone of approval. "Unfortunetly, the real world isn't a fairy tail."

"Isn't that why we're here?" Ruby asked, still smiling. "To make it better?"

Dagda scoffed from inside Nanashi's smartphone. **"Peace, huh?** " he muttered. **"And how exactly is one supposed to bring peace? What a naive little girl...it isn't just the monsters outside these comforting walls you live behind. It's also the monsters inside the walls you have to be careful of..."**

"Indeed..." Nanashi muttered in agreement. The Demons he fought were not the only monsters he's slain. A good amount of humans fit the bill as well. Despite what people will believe...humans can be worse than the most despicable of Demons...

After all, one need not look any further than those who persecuted the Faunus, and likewise, the White Fang. Both sides best represented just how ugly humans, demi or not, could be. He had heard a few rumors of how bad things were like in Tokyo prior to his birth. Half of the destroyed cities inside the country weren't simply just from battles against demons. The damage was caused by human nature, the desire to forfeit morality in order to survive by any means possible. Ruby failed to understand it, but he did, and so did a few other people within this world called Remnant. Fact was, the Grimm were hardly the only monsters in this world. No, the worst of the monsters were humans, and Faunus, themselves.

Regardless, Blake appeared to be pleased by her answer, giving her an affirmative nod. However, before she could say anything, Yang wrapped her arms around her sister, and hoisted her up, spinning her around. "Oh, I'm so proud of you!"

"Y-yang!" Ruby blushed as she flailed. "Cut it out!"

As result of Yang's actions, the two were thrown straight into a scuffle, creating a small cloud of dust around them. He heard all sorts of noises; crashing, banging, cracking...they were going at it fiercely, though he knew that it was hardly anything serious-wait, was that a piece of debris flying out from the cloud? "What are you doing?!" A familiar, shrill voice cried.

Yang turned, and found herself glaring back at the familiar, and annoyed face of Weiss Schnee. As soon as the two saw each other, their eyes widened, and pointed accusing fingers at one another.

"OH, NOT YOU AGAIN!"

Nanashi sighed, face-palming. Meanwhile, Cris frowned. "...you ever get the feeling we're being treated like the third wheel here?"

* * *

"...eeeen? Reeeeeeeen! Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup!"

Lie Ren was anything but a morning person. He turned over in his sleeping back, trying his best to tune out the rousing words. The source of said words huffed in frustration. The individual then jumped up and landed on the sleeping teen. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! It's morning Ren!" She hopped up and down on his chest as she straddled him. He groaned in discomfort, opening of his eyes to see an ever-familiar face. It was hard not to recognize her green eyes and orange hair, as well as that damned grin that he was convinced was permanently glued to her face.

"Waaaaake up lazy butt!" she declared as she darted off. Much to his displeasure, he rose up from his sleeping bag. He was a young male around the same age as the girl, with long black hair with a pink streak on the side. He blinked away the drowsiness in his eyes, revealing pink irises. '...it's way too early in the morning for this.' he thought tiredly. "It's morning, it's morning, it's morning! It's mooooorning!" He let out a tired sigh. Somehow, he knew that this was already going to turn out to be a long day. As usual, per the morning ritual everyone went through, he went to the bathroom to wash his teeth. "I can't believe we've been at Beacon for a full 24 hours!" Nora gushed in excitement as she waved her hand around, toothpaste flying everywhere as she did so. "Not that I'd thought we'd get kicked out or anything!"

 _'I wouldn't be surprised if we had...'_

"I mean, you're the perfect student and I'm, well, me!"

 _'Precisely the reason why we would have been kicked out...'_

Next, he returned to the ballroom, and began packing up his things. This was required for all students, as to be prepared for whether or not you would be staying or sent home, should you not make the cut at Initiation. He focused on tying up his sleeping bag while Nora continued to speak at rapid pace, brushing her hair. "But it's craaazy, you know? We've been friends for sooo long! What were the odds that we'd still be together?"

She paused.

"Well, not TOGETHER, together. I mean, not saying that you're not handsome! You are handsome, but that'd just be weird...right?"

 _'Not really...'_

After packing up, he then made his way to the mess hall. Perhaps the most vital of the morning ritual when starting combat school early; sustenance. After all, one could never fight on an empty stomach. However, slightly to his displeasure, he learned that breakfast consisted of pancakes. It wasn't that he disliked pancakes, don't get him wrong, it was just...he had grown tired of it. The reason was still talking. "Right, what was I thinking?" Nora said, her mouth full of a as-of-yet eaten pancake. "But still, I hope we end up on the same team together!" With a loud slurp, and in a single gulp, Nora gobbled down the pancake whole. "Ooh, we should come up with some sort of plan! To make sure we end up on the same team!" The girl tilted her head, a hand on her chin. "What if we bribe the headmaster? No, wait, that won't work! He has the school."

 _'If anyone did end up with you on their team, they'd go nuts...'_

Finally, after an hour or so, Ren had arrived at the locker room, gathering his equipment, and making sure everything was in place. Nora had followed along, as he had fully expected...and still talking lightning quick. "I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal!" she declared, finger pointed straight at the sky. Then, she gasped, darting to his right. "A secret signal we can use to find each other in the forest!"

 _'Wait for it...'_

Nora popped up to his left, looking genuinely curious as he pulled Storm Flower out from his locker, slipping it into his sleeves. "Can you imitate a sloth?"

"...Nora?" Ren said in a tired tone.

"Yes, Ren?"

"...I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."

The girl's face fell, as if in disappointment. However, it vanished not even a second later and was replaced by a grin of jubilation. "That's perfect! No one would even know it's us! It will be the perfect signal!"

Ren, without responding to that, closed his locker. "C'mon Nora," he told the girl as he walked away. "Let's go."

"Aye aye, sir~!"

With that, the pair walked away, passing by Yang, Ruby, and Nanashi as they did. "I wonder what's got them worked up?" Ruby wondered as she gathered her stuff.

"Who knows?" the blonde brawler shurgged as she turned to face the two. "So, boys and girls," Yang grinned as she slipped on a pair of familiar yellow gauntlets. "You ready to raise some hell?"

Rouge shook his head, amused while Ruby smiled. "Yep. After all, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking~" She said giddily as she whipped out Crescent Rose. "How about you, Nanashi?" she asked, turning to the Godslayer. "You going to show everyone Kamikira?"

"Of course." The green eyed teen replied with a smirk as he grabbed his weapon from his locker, twirled it in his hand before sheathing it in one fluid motion. "Let the carnage fest begin."

"Sounds like you two are ready and roaring to go." Yang nodded in approval. "So, how do you think teams are going to go?"

"Well, they're probably going to be decided during Initiation." Nanashi answered. "The teachers have been rather tight-lipped about it, and the second-year students have been instructed not to say anything, so the only real, actual question is who are partners will be." He then gave a shrug. "Perosnally, I couldn't care who's team I'm on, so long as they're tolerable."

Ruby then grinned in elation. "That's perfect! Then we can be on the same team, Nanashi!"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Ruby?" she asked. "C'mon, we've been over this. You need to start opening up, meet new people!"

"I agree." Nanashi nodded. "You can't be around us for the rest of your life."

Ruby groaned. "Oh, come on you guys!"

"You have to remember, Ruby." he said in an admonished tone. "We're not the only ones going through Initiation. If you want to grow up, you're going to have to meet new people and learn to work together."

At this, his twin groaned. "Ugh, you sound like dad!" she complained. "Okay, first of all, what does meeting people have to do with fighting? And secondly, I don't need people to help me grow up." She folded her arms, and nodded strongly. "I drink milk."

"Alright, then..." Yang huffed. "Say you don't wind up on the same team as Nanashi? What then?"

Ruby frowned, and looked away, tapping her index fingers together. "I'll just be on your team or something..."

"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team." the brawler suggested. "You know, like Vomit boy!"

At this, Ruby frowned heavily as she waltzed up to the two, pointing an accusing finger at them. "My dearest sister and adopted brother," she said with a glare, hands on her hips. Nanashi smiled thinly. It was rather cute how tough she was looking. "Are you implying that you don't wish to be on the same team as me?"

"W-what?" Yang chuckled nervously. In truth, she was hoping that Ruby would be able to fit in with other people on another team, though she was still perfectly fine with the idea of her sister joining her team, but she still wished for her to connect with others. After all, they wouldn't be together forever. "No! Of course I do, it's just... I dunno, maybe it would help you break out of your shell."

"What the?!" Ruby gawked. "I don't need to break out of my shell, that's absolutely-!"

"Ridiculous!" The three blinked, their conversation halting as Jaune strolled past them, a piece of paper in his hand. "There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday!" A tired, worn chuckle escaped him. "I would've remembered if I had to count that high!" he groaned. "Ugh, why does this have to happen to me today?!"

He was unaware that he strolled past the red-haired girl from the auditorium, as well as Weiss, the two currently engaged in conversation. "So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to who's team you'd like to be on?" she asked curiously. The girl standing beside her was none other than Pyrrha Nikos, the undisputed, undefeated Champion of Mistral, three years running. It had come as quite a shocker when the heiress had learned that she would be attending Beacon, but it only came to show just how prestigous Beacon was. It was perhaps on par with Atlas Academy, if what her sister told her was to be believed, in spite of the military standing. "I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual, such as yourself."

"Hmm..." Pyrrha cocked her head to the side, hands on her hips, deep in thought. "I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may." Inwardly though...she was lamenting. She came to Beacon in order to get away from her reputation. For the past few years, people only got to know her as Pyrrha Nikos, the Champion. Not Pyrrha Nikos, the person. Her parents were there for her, of course, but she really wished she to make actual friends.

Weiss was unaware of this fact, as she smiled. "Well, I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together." she offered. Inside of her mind, a chibi version of her was grinning like mad as thunder boomed around her, hands clenched around her fists as she giggled madly at her own dastardly thoughts. 'This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class, combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we will be unstoppable! I can see it now: We'll be popular, we'll be celebrities, we'll get perfect grades! Nothing could come between us!'

"...my word, Pyrrha?" a gentle voice called out. "Pyrrha Nikos, is that you?"

Weiss blinked as she looked over her shoulder, and felt her face promptly heat up. Approaching them was a well-dressed young man with black hair that fell to his shoulders, done in a curly fashion, and possessed orange eyes. He had a yellow ascot, followed by a dark navy blue jacket with white trims, along with a bracer on his left arm, accompanied by a black fingerless glove on his right hand, and had on black trousers, complete with black boots that had dark blue accents and white soles, reaching up to his knees. Attached to the belt on his hip was a long sword, easily as long as his arm by the blade alone, held in place with a black sheathe.

"It is you!" the boy smiled widely. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Pyrrha smiled back at the newcomer. "Long time no see, Jonathan," she greeted. "So, you've decided to attend Beacon as well?"

"Along with Walter," Jonathan replied with a chuckle. "You know how he can be." He then noticed Weiss' presence, and promptly apologized. "Ah, forgive me...it appears I was in the middle of something."

"No no, it's quite alright..." Weiss reassured him, snapping out of her moment. 'What a gentleman, though...' She thought in approval. It was quite rare to see such manners in a young man nowadays...wait...dark hair, orange eyes, yellow ascot, the name Johnathan...she could've sworn she knew a person by that description before.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly," the boy bowed politely. "My name is Jonathan Arc. It's a pleasure to meet you, miss...?"

"Weiss," the girl returned the courtesy with a bow of her own. "Weiss Schnee." She paused briefly. Jonathan Arc...ah, now she remembered! "Wait, I know you...you place second in last year's Mistral Tournament!"

"Why yes." The man nodded. "I am honored you remembered me. In most cases, people tend not to focus on people who scored second place. Regardless, it was a rather educating experience back then. It was an honor being able to fight against Miss Nikos. She truly earned her right as "The Invincible Girl".

Pyrrha giggled. "You were no slouch either, Jonathan," she said with praise. "Truth be told, I honestly felt that you were more deserving to win."

"Haha, you flatter me, Pyrrha."

"Hoy, Jonathan!" another voice shouted from behind. "What's the hold up?!" Weiss peered behind the gentleman. In contrast to Jonathan Arc, the one approaching them had a wild look to him, possessing spiky black hair, wearing a blue choker around his neck. His buttoned shirt was left nearly undone, sans the last couple of buttons near the hem, and wore worn out and faded jeans with several tears, complete with mud-splattered boots. Strapped to his waist was a large scimitar, made of black steel with a dark red edge. Strangely, she felt as if she had seen him before, though unlike Jonathan, this feeling was more of the disgruntled kind.

"Sorry, Walter," Jonathan apologized, turning to the teen. "I was catching up with an old friend of mine, and making a new acquaintance."

The boy, Walter, raised an eyebrow, but then a wide grin formed upon seeing the three-time Mistral Tournament Champion. "Well, if it isn't the Amazon Girl," he greeted with a wave. "What's up?"

"Heh," the girl grinned back. "As casual as always, eh Walter?"

"Sadly, his manners haven't improved at all, I'm afraid."

"Ah, shut up," Walter retorted. "Not everyone can be as kind-mannered as you." He then turned his attention to Weiss. "So, who's the princess here?"

' _...I don't like him,_ ' Weiss immediately thought with a scowl.

"This is Weiss Schnee," Jonathan introduced. "She's apparently a friend of Pyr-"

"Wait, Schnee?!" Walter shouted in shock. "You mean this is the Ice Queen's kid sister?!"

"Ice Queen?" Weiss raised a brow.

"Must you always refer to Miss Winter in such a manner?" Johnathan shook his head while sighing.

"Please! That's exactly what she is, Jonathan!" the fierce-looking boy argued. "All she does is constantly nag and gripe on me like she's my damned mother!"

Weiss was even more confused. From the sound of it, he and Winter shared a history...but how was that even possible? How could he even know her? Was he perhaps from Atlas? She didn't recall anyone in the military, much less anyone associated with Winter, by the name of...

Realization struck her, and her eyes widened. "Wait a second!" she shouted, pointing a finger at him. "I recognize you! You're Walter Ironwood! General Ironwood's son!"

"Tch." Walter clicked his tongue as he looked away. "I was really hoping you wouldn't know me because of that. Dammit...I hate it when people keep associating me with my old man..."

"Oh, come now, Walter..." Jonathan sighed again. "I understand you don't agree with the General, but he is your father, you know."

Before Walter could retort to that, the PA system cackled online. "Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for Initiation?" the voice of Glynda Goodwitch asked of them. "Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

"Seems like it's time to go," Pyrrha noted. As she made her leave, she flashed a smile to the two. "I hope you two find a good team."

Jonathan smiled back. "You as well, Pyrrha."

Walter remained silent, still rather displeased by the fact that someone recognized him. Meanwhile, Weiss was confused. Going by his reaction, it was clear that he didn't like being reminded that he was related to James Ironwood...but why? The man was responsible for revolutionizing most of Atlas' military, even merging the academy within the army itself. Because of that, it's effectiveness in training new recruits had skyrocketed. Instead of Huntsman and Huntress tasked with eliminating Grimm, Atlas produced powerful soldiers of incredible caliber. In a way, there was hardly anyone who didn't know the name.

In which case...why did his son seem to be hating that fact?

* * *

"...for years you have trained to become warriors." Ozpin began, once he observed the crowd to see if everyone was present. They were all lined up, single file, placed into a row. Nanashi was among the first to notice that they were all placed on small platforms. He shrugged it off, thinking that it would perhaps have something to do with how they would be conducting the Initiation, and remained silent. "And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now," Glynda took over the explanation, her Scroll held in her hand. "I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion." She pushed up her glasses, creating a glare. "Each of you will be given teammates... TODAY."

Ruby's face dropped. "W-what?" she mumbled, no suddenly scared. They were going to get teammates today?! B-but it was the first day! Why so suddenly?! Ooooh, she wasn't ready for this!

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon." Ozpin stated. "So it is within your best interest to be paired with someone whom you work well with." Ruby whined further as she cast a glance at Nanashi, who looked eager to begin, and her older sister, who was cracking her knuckles, a wry grin on her face, definitely anticipating action. Okay, she had given some thought to joining another team, provided they seemed nice... but after hearing that? It was official, she was DEFINITELY going to be on the same team as either Rouge or Yang, or maybe Cris. Speaking of which, she found her cousin standing not far from where she was, his weapon still in it's sheathe, looking rather jittery, as if waiting for battle to begin. They were the only ones she knew here (besides Jaune) and was aware of their fighting capabilities, whereas everyone else was a complete unknown.

"That said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

With those words, Ruby felt her world shatter apart. "What?!"

Nora grinned jubilantly as she shook Ren by the shoulders. "See?! I told you!"

 **"Ah, so that's how they play it,"** Dagda mused before he laughed. **"Sounds like one giant chemistry experiment ready to blow up."**

"Yeah. It's crazy...we won't know if we will be paired with someone who's capable, an amateur, or a complete douche bag." He shook his head before letting out a small grin. "Then again...that kind of surprise is interesting."

 **"Whatever you say, kid..."**

"After you've partnered up, make your way up to the northern end of the forest." he instructed them. "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path, or you will die." Walter smirked. That should have been a given, but it worked in his favor just fine. He had no intention showing any mercy to anything or anyone that stood in his path. After all, where would be the fun in running away from a fight?

Jaune laughed nervously at this, and gulped down a nervous lump in his throat. "...I am so screwed." he whimpered to himself. Ruby nodded strong in agreement, but her despair was in regards to the partnership system that was just revealed to her.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your Initiation." Ozpin said as he looked to Glynda. "But our instructors will not intervene." He then turned back to the Initiates. "You will then find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one relic, and then return to the Cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately." He took a drink of his coffee before continuing. "Are there any questions?"

Jaune raised his hand. "Yeah, um, sir-"

"Good! Now, take your positions."

Ozpin outright ignored Jaune, and allowed the students to take their stances. Ruby slipped herself into a running stance, while Yang rubbed her wrists, ready to begin as she slipped on a pair of aviators. Nanashi fell into a stance, his feet spaced apart and his body left at an angle, his hand wrapped around the hilt of his blade. Jaune still held up his hand. "Uh, sir? I've got a question." He failed to notice Weiss being launched into the air, her form turning into a white streak across the blue backdrop above them. Now, Nanashi realized the importance of the stones. "So, this landing strategy thing, uh, w-what is it? Are you...are you like, dropping us off?"

"No. You will be falling." Ozpin answered bluntly.

Unknown to the blonde knight, Jonathan was thrown into the air, followed by Walter, who let out a whoop.

"Oh...I see...So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?" Jaune was getting more antsy by the second.

"Woohoo!" Nora was launched next.

"No. You will be using your own landing strategy."

"Uh...huh..." Jaune was still uncertain. Meanwhile, Yang looked over to her siblings and winked before slipping on a pair of aviators. Ruby gave a determined grin as she was launched next. Nanashi narrowed his eyes and smirked before he too was launched. Now it was only Jaune left with Ozpin and Glynda.

"So, uh...what exactly is a landing strataGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY...?!" The blonde could barely finish his question before he was launched and sent tumbling into the air, heels over head.

Ozpin turned to face the airborne initiates...and took a sip of coffee from his mug. "Well...this should prove to be an interesting year..." he commented. Glynda on the other hand shook her head.

"You take far too much pleasure in this job..."

* * *

Nanashi had to admit, flying through the sky like this was quite fun. The feeling of weightlessness, the sound of wind rushing past him, the adrenaline pumping through his veins from the sheer excitement of it...it was amazing. Now he understood why aerial demons liked to fly so much. Although, personally...Ursa surfing was more fun than flying.

When he landed in the forest, he literally landed right on an Ursa's back. Not quite the landing strategy he had in mind...but it worked. The creature was practically being hogged as he rode atop it before he rode it straight into a tree. "Hey, watch it!" Nanashi snapped as he had to turn away to avoid crashing into a tree. Geez. Riding these things was harder than he thought. The Grimm was not taking kindly to being ridden, and tried to throw him off, but it was not doing a good job. Every time it would try and crash into something to throw him off, he was forced to steer it away before the point of impact.

He managed to avoid crashing into trees and boulders, but the Ursa still tried to shake him off. "Dammit!" He cursed as he brushed up against a tree, nearly knocking him off. He was getting nowhere like this. For all he knew, his Ursa was carrying him back toward the cliffs. Disappointed that he has to end his fun so soon, Nanashi unsheathed his sword and stabbed it through the Ursa's neck.

The creature let out a howl, it's functions ceasing the moment the sword severed it's life. It stopped it's advance, and slid through the ground, leaving behind a trail of upturned earth. Soon, it reached it's end, allowing him to jump off. A sigh escaped him. "Well...that was fun for a while."

 **"Yeah, a blast."** Dagda drawled. **"Well, at least it wasn't a total loss. At least riding on that thing managed to get you closer to the temple."**

Nanashi gave a look at the god, who's face was reflected on the device on his arm. "...you mean you know where it is?"

 **"Kid, I'm the god of knowledge,"** Dagda reminded him. **"Finding something old is a simple task. Anyway...don't look now, but it seems you have company."**

Nanashi raised his eyebrow at this, but then felt a presence enter his immediate viscinity. Cautiously, he looked over his shoulder, gripping his sword tightly. "...I have to admit, it's not everyday you see a guy riding an Ursa," a voice said with amusement. Strangely, he felt as if he had heard the voice before. "Hah, then again, I suppose it's also not everyday you see a kid here at Beacon either."

The owner of the voice stepped into view. Nanashi's eyes widened in absolute shock, nearly losing his grip on his sword. The grinning face of Walter greeted him as he raised his hand. "Hoy there!" he said jovially. "I guess we're partners now. I'm Walter Ironwood."

His grin grew wider, completely oblivious to the bewildered and shocked face of the Godslayer.

"Good to meet you!"

* * *

-Initiation and Revelation: END-

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _"Looks like you could use some help."_

 _"Jonathan, huh? The name's Nightingale, but just call me Cris."_

 _"...I could have taken it."_

 _"How is it that someone as immature and childish as you even made it here in the first place?!"_

 _"Enough of this pathetic farce, kid...show them. Show them what it means to be a Godslayer!"_

 _Next Time: You Say God, I Say Bow Down_


	3. Chapter 3

_"You sure about this kid? If you do this, then chances are, the fight against YHVH will be all that much harder._ _"_

 _..._

 _"Hah...still holding on to that idea that your friends are the only things that make you human, eh? Don't forget, your the one who chose this path."_

 _..._

 _"...yes, that's right. We can use the other souls to build a foundation for the new universe."_

 _..._

 _"Whatever you say kid...just remember this: bonds will only drag you down."_

* * *

RWBY: Final Judgment

* * *

interludium III: You Say God, I Say Bow Down

It was impossible...it should have been impossible, and yet, the fact was still staring, glaring so, Nanashi straight in the face.

The toothy grin on Walter, the Samurai of the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, who died to fuse with Lucifer and restore his power, never left his face. "I'm Walter Ironwood," he greeted jovially. "Good to meet you!"

This did not make sense...It...it just couldn't! His soul should've been part of Lucifer when Satan was fused! How the hell is he here?! And why the hell was he a student at Beacon like him?!

"Hey, you doing okay, man?" Walter's words snapped him out of his stupor, his jovial grin replaced by a frown of concern. "You looked like you've seen a ghost."

"It-it's nothing," he replied shakily. "You just...look like someone I used to know." It was the truth, technically speaking. He had no idea what the hell is happening right now, but he might as well continue one. "My name is Nanashi Xiao Long. A pleasure."

Walter smiled back with a quirked eyebrow. "No-name? The hell kind of a name is that?"

"Beats me. Try asking the people who named me that."

* * *

Cris could honestly say that he hated his father right now.

First thing he had done today to tick him off was tell him that he was being enrolled at Beacon at the very last second. The action alone caused his heart to stop. All of his life, his dad taught him how to fight. How to swing a blade. How to survive. It may have been harsh, but it was necessary. He had seen some pretty gruesome stuff while traveling with his dad...most of which could be attributed to his aunt, the she-devil known as Raven. She had a slight hand in teaching him, and it made him all the more stronger...didn't mean he came out unscathed.

The second thing was the fact that because of this damned decision of his dad's that he was now trekking through Emerald Forest, constantly on the alert for Grimm, looking for someone to partner with...and looking for a damned temple.

"When I see that drunk, I'm gonna clock him." Cris decided with a nod, hoisting his trusty companion and lifelong friend, Monochrome Crown, on his shoulder.

It was a weapon that he forged with his own hands. It vaguely resembled his father's own weapon, but is in another league in its own. Sure, it could transform into a sword and a scythe...but it could also turn into an axe, a spear, and a long sword. It allowed for versatile combat styles that could help him out, should problems ever arise. The main issue to it if one would ever point it out was that it had no ranged capability. With all the Melee modifications he made, he was unable to make a firearm mode. That being said, he always kept a trusty firearm on hand, since slung over his back was a 36 round Dust battle rifle.

It wasn't as fancy as his Monochrome Crown, but he had to at least get some sort of ranged means of attack. Then again, he could tweak his weapon around. He should probably consult with Ruby, given his cousin was a massive weapons freak. Who better to ask how to modify a weapon than his dorky cousin? Speaking of the red reaper, he hoped she was doing okay. He wasn't too worried about Nanashi or Yang. Those two were pretty strong, especially the former. He didn't have any Aura because of his 'condition' but he was downright terrifying with just a katana and a firearm. As for Yang...what needed to be said? She could just bash in any heads she came across...that, and he pitied any Grimm who touched her hair. He felt a shiver run down his spine, recalling the sight of Yang with the same eyes as his aunt, and hair set ablaze.

Ruby, though...she was a bit of an airhead. Sometimes, she didn't understand how much danger she was in, and underestimated her opponents. That, and she could get a bit too excited. He was happy that she was accepted into Beacon two years early, but that just meant more danger for her. In conparison to he rest of the students this year, she was two years behind in combat experience. Sure she may be gifted and taught personally by his dad, but it was different from true experience in the field. He should know, since his dad took him along for his Huntsman jobs.

His fingers traced the small scar around his abdomen, where a Beowolf had struck him in the past. It was an attack he received when he was still a greenhorn and arrogant in his own abilities. He almost lost some vital organs because of his mistake. His dad never said anything. In fact, he was damned worried about him. He never scolded or berated him...he was just worried. Regardless, the incident served as a lesson for him.

Since then, he's been more careful. The scar he had now was a sign of his survival, and a reminder to keep a level head. "You idiots better be okay," Cris muttered, adjusting the strap holding his rifle, still walking the barren path. However, he soon paused when he heard something in the distance...something that was coming close. "What the-"

He caught the sight of something blue and yellow flying by him, crashing through a small tree. His eyes widened, and looked at what was thrown. It was a student like him with curly black hair and orange eyes, wielding a slender naked blade with a dual edge. He then looked at the direction where he came from, and he promptly cursed.

"Fuck me."

Standing not far from him was a Beringel...a very pissed off Beringel.

The teen groaned as he got up, rubbing his back. "Well, that's certainly one way to relief back ache," he muttered before noticing Cris. "Ah, another fellow I see...sorry, but would you mind helping me out?"

"Sure," Cris shrugged, switching Monochrome Crown into it's longsword form. "You got a name, curly?"

"Jonathan."

"Jonathan, huh? The name's Nightingale, but just call me Cris." he told his new partner, as the Grimm ape let out a battle cry, pounding it's fists against its chest, glaring at them with seething rage. Cris' eyes burned red as he fell into a stance. "Alright, you oversized monkey!" he shouted. "Come and get me!"

* * *

"Well, that is an interesting pair," Ozpin commented, taking a drink of his coffee. "The heir of the Arc family, and Qrow's son...this will be interesting to see."

"Indeed." Glynda nodded in agreement. Although, she also pondered on the partnership of Nanashi Xiao Long and Walter Ironwood.

She was still confused by the two's interact. Nanashi had seemed...shocked to see him, as if he was seeing a ghost. As far as the records during his time in the care of Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long, he had traveled around the world at times, in part of Qrow Branwen's doing. While most of the records only recounted their exploits, there was no mention of Nanashi growing close to anyone, with the exception of Weiss Schnee. Speaking of which, Glynda felt a pang of sorrow for Ruby Rose, as she and Weiss were now partners. The blonde witch immediately knew that Weiss Schnee was spoiled rotten, having obtained everything she asked for. Being the heiress of a company had a lot of weight, so naturally people had to listen to her. She received tutors and combat instructors...but she lacked something that Ruby Rose had; experience in the field. While most of her battles were mere skirmishes, nowhere near the level a Huntsman would engage in, she still had experience. Weiss had simulated battles.

Either way, she hoped things would work out. After all, Ruby was just like her mother; always able to make something extraordinary happen. Just thinking about it made her heart grew heavy. Even now, it was difficult to believe that Summer Rose is gone...

"Your creasing your brow again, Glynda," Ozpin chimed, removing her from her train of thought. "You seem to be doing that quite frequently."

"My apologies, headmaster."

The man smiled, waving his hand in dismissal. "It's fine," he told her. "Although, I do believe we should continue watching our students' progress. Who knows? We might get to see something curious."

* * *

"Ruuuuuuby? Helloooooo?" Yang called out as she trekked through the woods. It had already been five minutes since she landed, and still no sign of her sisters.

The blonde brawler wasn't worried about her, knowing full well that she was perfectly capable of protecting herself...but at the same time, she couldn't help but try to find her, in spite of her insistence that Ruby try to find other people to fight alongside with. Perhaps it was her sisterly nature acting up, but she still couldn't help but feel anxious. After all, both of her siblings entered Beacon two years early. She was worried that they may not even fit in with their fellow students. To be frank, she wasn't all that worried about Nanashi. It was her sister she was worried for.

"Rubes?" she called out. "Hey! Ruby! You here?! Hello!" she bellowed out, only to receive her own echo as a response. A shake of the head followed, and a sigh came after. "Why am I not surprised?" She scratched the back of her head as she observed her surroundings. The forest was oddly quiet, but she could hear fighting off in the distance. Most likely, teams were being formed as they speak. Now, don't get her wrong, she was looking for a team herself, but she was looking for Ruby because she was worried about her. She came to Beacon two years ahead of everyone else, so she was easily nervous, despite her confidence in her skills. She would form a team with Ruby, there was little doubt about that, but she wanted her sister to strike out on her own. After all, she wouldn't be there to cuddle her forever.

Suddenly, movement was seen out of the corner of her eye. "Ruby?" Yang asked, peeking through the brushel. "Is that you?"

"Grrrr..." The black shadow growled. It stood on all fours before it rose up and stood on its hind legs. It was a massive, bear-like creature with fur as black as midnight. It's back was covered with ivory spikes while a white mask with red markings was present on its face.

Yang's smile dropped. "...nope." She quickly jumped back, avoiding being thrashed when the Ursa swung it's paw at her, as if to rip off her head. "Hey, big guy." Yang waved at the Creature of Grimm, known as the Ursai Major. "You seen a little girl with a red hood or a kid with different pair of eyes, would ya?" In response, the Ursa roared, and swung it's paw down. Yang leaped back, performing a backflip to achieve some distance. She flipped her hair back as she she grinned. "You could have just said no instead of 'rawr.'" The Ursa roared again before charging. Yang grinned and cocked her wrists, activating her yellow shotgun gauntlets from their bracelet form: Ember Celica. The beast roared up, running toward her at top speed. Yang slammed her fists into the ground, creating a loud 'bang' as she was propelled into the air, a result of Ember Celica's kickback. She vaulted over the Ursa, shooting off another blast. The beast staggered a bit, swaying through it's charge before it slammed into the trunk of a tree. "Oof," she giggled. "That had to hurt." The Grimm pulled itself away, shaking it's head before turning to Yang, fangs bared in anger. She was about to brace herself for another charge when a loud, bellowing cry emerged from her side. Acting quickly, she brought up her arms, and was thrown back by the sheer amount of force that was put into the strike. Her body tumbled through the ground before she came to a stop.

Looking up, she found another Ursa. This one was glaring at her as well, snapping a loud roar.

"Two for the price of one, huh?" she said as she dusted herself off. "Okay then!" She jumped up, curling her legs up into a ball, leaving the third Ursa to charge in, and run into the second, causing them both to tumble into the ground. As she hit the ground, Yang pounded her fists together. "Sweet~" she said cheekily, excited. She was going to get to fight three Ursa, all at once! This was going to be a lot of fun! ...wait, she was supposed to find Ruby, wasn't she? Eh, oh well. It could wait. Her sister was tough, so she wasn't too worried about her. After all, their uncle taught her how to use that scythe of hers, so she'll be kicking ass and taking names.

That meant... she could kick the shit out of these suckers~!

"Alright boys," Yang smirked. "Who wants a taste of Yang?" The one on the right growled before charging in first. It stopped just short of her, and swung it's paw. She ducked underneath it, and delivered an uppercut to it's jaw, knocking it upward. With a follow up, she swiveled around on her feet, cocked her fist back, and threw a right hook, hitting it's underbelly. Almost like a boartusk, it's body flipped about into a ball for a few short seconds before hitting the ground, left in a daze. One of the two Grimm from earlier, got back up, and charged at her again. This time, it was ready to bite off her head. Not wanting to get her hair damaged, she instead chose for the direct approach, and rammed her fist in it's jaw, causing it to stagger back. The third Ursa came up from behind the second, ready to slam it's weight on her. She avoided it by flipping backwards on her hands, launching herself into the air to make some distance. Once she did, she unloaded two shots. One hit the first one in the face, causing it to recoil, while the other hit it's shoulder, causing to it cramp down on it's leg.

Meanwhile, the first Ursa charged in, now seething with anger. Yang cracked a cocky grin as she charged in to meet it's advance. Without stopping, she ducked underneath the swipe of it's paw, and swiveled around on her foot. Now behind the Ursa, she jumped up on it's back, and reared back both of her fists. With a swift succession, she began to unload Ember Celica as her fists pounded away at it's armor on it's back. Each struggle caused it to strain to stay on it's legs. Unfortunately it could no longer bear the weight, as she reared both arms back, and swung them both down. A resounding BOOM echoed in the air as Yang was blown off, flying through the air before landing back on the ground. The Ursa cried weakly as it fell on it's stomach, the armor on it's back completely shattered, and it's fur singed. "One down!" she cheered before turning her attention back to the other two.

A massive black paw swung, hitting her on the side.

"Oof!" She grunted as she was thrown into the air. She hit the ground. Hard. But she tumbled and pulled herself up on her feet. "Not bad. So what else can...you..." Her words died in her throat as she saw it. It floated slowly to the ground before her.

A strand of blonde hair.

 **HER** blonde hair.

The Grimm suddenly felt tense when they saw her body trembling. "Y-you..." Creatures of Grimm held only instincts within them. They knew where to find prey by the feeling of aura, a power that belonged only to humans, those with a soul. It was within their instincts to destroy and maim and kill whatever possessed a soul, yet it was also within their instincts to recognize a potential threat. "Y-you...!" And now, a threat stood before them. Yang's head snapped up, her hair suddenly glowing like fire, and her lilac eyes turning bright crimson.

 ** _"YOU MONSTERS!"_**

She flung her fists behind her, allowing the recoil of her gauntlets to propel her foreward to the closest Ursa. Once she was right in the enemy's face she swung her right arm in a jaw-shattering right hook followed with a left handed uppercut. This time, it's body was thrown back, thrashing to the ground before hitting a tree. Before it even had a chance to recover, the Ursa was suddenly bombarded with strike after strike after strike. The tree threatened to break was the Grimm was pressed further into it, it's belly being torn apart with each shot. The Ursa howled in agony. Yang delivered once final blow right in the throat. The tree gave way. The bark snapped away, and the Ursa plowed through it, neck crushed and broken. The tree fell over, hitting the ground with a thud. The earth shuddered below their feet. A bellow from behind her reminded that Yang there was another Ursa behind her. She was still seething from the damaging of her hair. She wouldn't be happy until she bashed it apart.

"You're next..." She seethed.

The Ursa roared. But before it could even move, a sharp blade stabbed itself into the back of its skull. The blade was then torn free and sliced through the Grimm's neck and upper back. The bear-like creature swayed a bit before toppling over. Yang raised a brow at the sudden action, then saw who stood behind the Ursa.

It was Blake.

The two stared at each other, with the latter pulling out her black blade from the dead beast, slipping it into it's holster.

Yang broke the silence. "...I could have taken it."

* * *

Jaune was convinced that today was a bad day for him.

First, he woke up late in the morning. Second, he took a cold shower due to all the hot water being used up in that specific stall. Third, the cafeteria ran out of pancakes just when it got to him, so they gave him bland scrambled eggs and oatmeal instead. Fourth, he misplaced his weapons locker. And finally, he was flung off the side of a cliff from a hydraulic launching platform without any form of preparation. He was thankful that girl with the red hair, Pyrrha he thinks her name was, stopped him from breaking his neck by impaling his shirt into a tree, like earlier, but... did she have to pin him so high up?! How in the heck was he supposed to get down?! "Hello?!" He called out again, hoping someone was within hearing range. "Can someone please get me down from here?!" Again, he was only met with silence.

A sigh escaped him. "...anyone...?"

Once more, silence. No one was coming.

He hung his head low, a dark cloud hanging over his head. "Why do these things always happen to me...?" Jaune lamented.

Thankfully, however, he received some salvation, noticing the rustling of bushes. Looking down, he found a familiar white-haired girl emerging from the bushes, dusting off her dress. "H-hey..." he waved at her weakly. "Little help?" Weiss stared at him, her face flat, and promptly turned back around into the bush. "H-hey, uh, miss?!" She disappeared into the greenery. The blonde's face fell. "W-Wait! Please! Who's going to get me down from here?!" He pleaded.

She didn't come back. Again, another sigh, this time with despair evident.

It just wasn't his day.

"Hello?" The knight looked down, and to his relief, he found someone standing at the base of the tree. It was a red-haired girl, the one he saw talking to that Weiss lass back in the locker room. "Are you alright?"

"Um, y-yeah..." he said meekly. "C-can you please just get me down?"

* * *

 _'...it's a bit quiet here,'_ Ren thought as he entered a small clearing within the Emerald Forest. It had been twenty minutes since he had landed, and had already begun making his way to the temple, believing that he would encounter his partner on the way. He had a good idea where it might be, and found himself here. In spite of the quiet, serene feeling the clearing gave, the silence was anything but to anyone aware of the dangers of anyone who knew what lied within the forest. _'Too quiet.'_

In the next moment, he heard something slithering behind him. He quickly looked over his shoulder to see a gargantuan black snake with red markings and red eyes.

It was a King Taijutu.

The snake hissed, and lashed out at Ren, only for him to vault over it's head, an impressive feet given it's lightening quick snaps. He quickly put distance between the two, and took out his weapons, a pair of dual green guns with blades attached to the barrels. The long Grimm ripped through the ground as it advanced, pieces of earth sent flying and ripped apart in it's charging advance. Ren maneuvered away, a series of backflips allowing him to evade it's charge. However, as he was going through the air, the Grimm rammed it's body forward. At that moment, the teen called upon his Aura, and brought up his arms to defend against the attack. The force of the headbutt threw him quite a ways away, but he landed safely on his feet.

As he regained his bearings, Ren noticed that the snake had begun to coil around him, circling around his prey. Just before it could close in on him, he jumped up, and away from it's grasp. Ren opened fire on the beast, though his bullets did little to it's skin, which was as thick as armor. It hissed and screeched as it snapped toward him, however Ren propelled himself away from it as he parried it, using the side of it's head as a launching pad, and throwing himself onto it's body, sliding along it's spine as he continued to shoot at it. As the snake regained sight of it's target, it tried to swallow him whole, mouth open, but Ren was far quicker. In a rapid movement, he rammed his palms into the side of it's head, causing it to stagger as it reeled from the effects of the blow, and followed up with a swift kick to the head. This strike caused it's head to strike into the ground, leaving it's neck exposed. As it tried to get up, Ren quickly took the initiative, and the blades from his guns extended, slashing across the neck, and cutting through the armor.

The Grimm screamed out in rage, and snaked all around the air before slamming it's head into where Ren stood. He jumped up to avoid it, a cloud of dust and debris flying through the air below him. He took the initative, and threw himself back down to the ground, ramming his blades into the Taijutu's skull. The strength behind his attack forced back into the ground.

It didn't get back up.

Ren sighed, slightly exhausted from his encounter, but frowned when he heard something rustling behind him. He looked over his shoulder, and found himself staring at a white body with red markings, and a familiar face staring back at him, hissing and bearing it's fangs while it's red eyes glared at him.

"...shit!" he cursed as he jumped off to the side, avoiding the white Grimm from slamming into him. As he brought up his guard, his magenta eyes frowned heavily when he saw the black snake move up, it's form slightly drowsy form the attack. Upon a closer look, the white Taijutu and the black Taijutu were actually apart of the same body, dancing and moving together as they glared down on him. Dread filled him as he clenched his grip over his weapons, wishing he had some backup right about now. Mustering his courage, he ran over. He jumped over the white head's assault, running along it's back, and sliding along it's spine, and began to open fire on the creatures. He continuously moved his body around as he slid along the body of the Grimm, aiming for various parts, but found that none of his attacks were making a dent. As he jumped up, intending to get a better vantage point, one of the heads shout out from nowhere, and batted him away, tossing him to the ground, and his guns thrown out of his hands.

Ren groaned as he stood up to his knee, a hand on his head. "That hurt..." he muttered before looking up, finding the black head of the Taijutu glaring down at him, it's mouth open. It's head snapped forward with the intent on devouring him. Ren brought up his hands, and braced himself. The snake tried to bite down on him. Keyword was tried, as its fangs were stopped by a glowing plan on Ren's hands. The teen struggled against the force behind the strike, but stood his ground. In a swift motion, he pushed his hands forward, snapping the fangs in his hands, grabbed them, and with a fierce palm strike powered by his aura, shot the ivory spire through the Grimm's eye.

It's form quaked as the fang went out through the other end. A second later, it's head imploded. The black half of the snake fell to the ground, now lifeless. Ren turned his attention to the white half of the Taijutu, and narrowed his eyes. "...one down." The snake hissed in fury, and charged forward. Ren followed up as well.

* * *

Ruby was starting to think that she should have chosen to follow Weiss' example when they met earlier, and walked away in favor of finding a new partner.

The reason? Why, it is because they were lost of course. That and the girls rants were no help either.

"God, you are unbearable!" Weiss growled. "How is it that someone as immature and childish as you even made it here in the first place?!"

...Is it too late to find a new partner? The more she listened to Weiss' words, the more annoyed she became. Seriously! Just what does Nanashi see in her?! She usually never wanted to hurt someone, but this girl was seriously pushing it. She was THIS close to smacking her! "Look, I'm sorry I don't meet your expectations, princess!" she shouted back, clearly hurt by her words. "But quit acting like your better than me! Besides, you don't even know me, so quit judging me!" She realized she got in Beacon two years early, but it didn't give her the right to give her any flak for it. The white-haired girl had continued to bag on her, even though she knew literally nothing about her. She was trying, she really was! She was trying hard to get along with her, to prove she wasn't a waste of space or anything, but this girl's attitude! Gah, it was just like those snobby girls Yang talked about back at Signal! The ones who kept on bragging about their looks and their boyfriends! ...not that she knew about anything about that, but still! That was what Weiss was acting like!

"Then quit acting like a child!" the heiress shouted.

"I will if you quit acting like you're perfect or something!"

"I'm not perfect!" She snapped at her before turning away. "...at least not yet" she muttered under her breath. She then narrowed her eyes at the girl intensely. "But I'm at least better than you."

Ruby scowled. "You don't even know me," she whispered bitterly, watching the ice queen walk away from her in a strut. "How did Nanashi end up with someone like her..."

* * *

Ren panted heavily as he slipped his weapons into his sleeves, exhausted as he stood atop the corpse of the slowly dissolving Taijutu. The battle was far longer than he anticipated, but he was finally able to defeat the damned thing. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he straightened himself out, rubbing his shoulders and dusting himself off. ' _That was more difficult than I thought,'_ he thought to himself as he wiped off the dirt on his sleeves. _'I hope there are still people I can team up with.'_ He paused. ' _...I wonder how Nora's doing?'_

"Bhhrrrra! Bhhrrra!"

He smiled softly. _'Speak of the Devil.'_ He looked behind him, and found Nora, hanging from a tree branch, upside down with a massive grin on her face. "I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like."

The orange haired girl let out a broad grin. "Boop!" She took her finger and tapped him on the nose.

* * *

"So...your name is Jaune?"

"Y-yeah," the blonde nodded as they walked through the Emerald Forest. It had been a few minutes since she had brought him down, which he was grateful for. That, and it seemed like his new partner looked pretty strong, so that was a plus. "And your...Pyrrha, was it?"

The Amazon nodded with a smile. "That's right," she said. "Oh, and I'm very sorry about pinning you to a tree!"

"It's fine...better than being stuck in a forest with Grimm, or breaking some bones," he told her sheepishly. "So...how far until we reach the temple. No offense, but my feet are starting to hurt."

"I think we're almost there." the warrior girl answered as she pushed a branch away from her face. Unfortunately, as she let go, it whipped across at Jaune's face, causing him to be thrown back. The girl whirled around in panic, startled. "Jaune, are you alright?!" she asked in concern, bending down to help him up. "I'm so sorry!"

The knight accepted her hand, and pulled himself up. "It's alright..." he told her, wincing as he gently touched the small cut on his cheek. He hissed in pain as it became irritated. "Ow... Talk about a cut." He drew his fingers away and noticed the amount of blood on them. Yep, definitely a nasty cut.

"That looks like it smarts." Pyrrha noted as she pulled out a small handkerchief from her pocket, and gently wiped away the blood. She then frowned in confusion. "Jaune, why didn't you activate you're Aura?"

"My what?" Jaune asked in confusion.

"Your Aura." She repeated.

"Bless you."

The girl frowned heavily, now even more confused. "Jaune," she asked. "Do you know what aura is?"

Instantly, the blonde became nervous. He knew he heard the term 'aura' somewhere before, but he wasn't sure where. However, his mind became worried about the possibility that perhaps Aura was a major part on being a Huntsman, an tried to play it off. "O-of course I know!" he lied, cringing inside as he realized how obvious he sounded. "Do you know?"

Pyrrha nodded. "Aura is the manifestation of one's soul. It bears our burdens, and shields our hearts." Jaune raised an eyebrow at this, not quite getting it, though he recalled his older brother saying something similar. Seeing his confusion, the girl used an example. "Have you ever felt like you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?"

"Uh... Yeah."

"With practice, our aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals."

"What about monsters?"

"No, the monsters we fight lack a soul." He already knew what she was talking about. Hell, there wasn't anyone in Remnant who didn't know what she was referring to. It was hard not to, given that they were the natural enemy of humanity, and plastered in almost every possible piece of literature or news. "They are the Creatures of Grimm. The manifestation of anonymity. "They are the darkness, and we are the light."

"Right. That's why we fight them."

Pyrrha smiled, shaking her head. "It's not about why, it's about knowing. Understanding both dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both. By bearing your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm. You project yourself and your soul with fighting." Jaune still didn't quite get what she was talking about. From his point of view...it kind of sounded like a force field from one of his video games, or something. "Now, close your eyes, and concentrate." Pyrrha instructed. Jaune couldn't help but blush when her hand touched his cheek, and how close she was. 'Wow, she's beautiful...' he thought, clearly embarrassed. He had seen plenty of beautiful girls back home, but Pyrrha? She was...on a whole other level.

"U-uh..." Jaune did as he was told, and closed his eyes. He tried to picture what a physical representation of Aura was like. Given Pyrrha's lecture, he assumed it was like a sword and shield, so he visioned it as such, much like Crocoa Mars. He pictured a blade within a sword, decorated and clearly meant to cut down everything in it's path, while the shield, strong and sturdy, would protect everyone around him, and even himself.

With the image now in his mind, Pyrrha closed her eyes as well. However, as she opened them, her green eyes glowed, and a light red aura danced around her body. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality," she recited the words that had been passed down to her when she had her Aura unlocked. Soon, a white aura began to dance around Jaune. "Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death." Gently, her hand touched his breastplate. "I release your soul. And by my shoulder, protect thee."

As soon as her hands left him, Jaune could feel...something within him rising to the surface. He opened his blue eyes, and looked down at himself. "Okay," he said with a giddy smile, noticing the white light around his body. "This is so cool." He then turned back to Pyrrha, intending to thank her, but grew concerned when he noticed her breathing rather heavily, her hands on her knees. "P-Pyrrha?"

"It's alright." she told him, gaining her strength back as she straightened herself out. "I used my aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own." She smiled as she saw the cut on Jaune's face heal instantly, almost as if it was never there to begin with. "You have a lot of it."

"Whoa...really...?" Jaune was amazed with himself...an confused. He really had that much power...? Another smile crossed his face, and clenched his hand. "Alright...!"

* * *

"Our last pair has been formed, sir." Glynda informed, loading up the screen on her Scroll. "Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren." A sad expression crossed her face as she recalled the video footage of her battle with the Grimm on her way to find her partner. She had never seen someone so hyperactive and wild. She actually pitied the poor Grimm that ended up on the receiving end of her hammer. "Poor boy. I can't possibly imagine those two getting along." She paused as she loaded up another screen. "Still, he's probably better off than Ms. Nikos." Ozpin raised an eyebrow as he looked at the woman, her face set into an angry frown. "I don't care what his transcripts say, that Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat."

She had read his transcripts, and quite frankly, she was finding it difficult to believe what she read.

According to the records, he was the brother of Jonathan Arc, thus immediately, there was a curious interest. The transcripts stated that he was at least above average, but nothing extraordinary like his sibling. However...what she saw was completely lackluster. For goodness sake's, he didn't even have his Aura unlocked! That alone raised eyebrows. No matter the circumstances, on the first day of any training academy, a person's Aura was to be immediately unlocked. The fact that he his Aura remained locked meant that he was without any sort of training, meant that his transcripts were completely, and utterly, falsified.

That left her angry.

What was this body thinking? Did he think it was some sort of game? The job of a Huntsman was NOT to be taken so lightly! If it weren't for Ms. Nikos, he would have surely ended up crashing horribly! Best case scenario, he would have at least a few broken bones! She would have had him escorted out of this school immediately, were it not for the fact that Ozpin had made it so teachers could not interfere. Eventually, though, a sigh escaped her. "I guess we'll find out soon enough." the blonde-haired teacher said as she exited out of the video footage, and slid the Scroll back to it's inactive form. "At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes." Unknown to Glynda, Ozpin was watching two video feeds from the cameras that were placed in the Emerald forest. One showed Ruby and Weiss, the two bickering about which way they should go, and the other showed Nanashi and Walter, who remained mindful surroundings. "Speaking of which," Glynda said as she turned around to face the man. "What did you use as relics this year?"

The man didn't answer, instead more focused on the screen presented to him.

"Ozpin?"

The headmaster smiled somewhat, looking away. "The same thing as last year," he said simply. "A relic used in a certain game that's been around since the days of Vytal. Regarding Mr. Arc, I do believe we'll something interesting out of him yet." There was a mysterious twinkle in his eye, as he looked back at his Scroll. "After all, he is an Arc."

"Perhaps," Glynda said begrudgingly. "However, if you ask me, that boy is trying to get himself killed."

"As is everyone else in that forest," he countered. "Trying to become Huntsmen and Huntresses, all in pursuit of their goals. There's really nothing curious about his case, other than the obvious lie in his transcripts."

Glynda stared at the man as if he had grown a second head. "Sir, are you telling me you KNEW about his transcripts?"

"Come now, Glynda, I may be getting on in years, more so than Peter, but I haven't gone senile yet."

* * *

"Say, Nanashi," Walter said. "I've been meaning to ask...what's with the scar?"

After breaking the ice and Nanashi regaining his composure, they two have gotten into light conversation to get to know the other better. If they were going to be partners for the next four years, then it would be best to know who they will be working with. Nanashi scratched his thumb over the green mark on his face. Over the past decade, a lot of people have asked him about it. "I got it when I was five," he answered simply. "Same with the mark on my hand."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

Walter shrugged. "Just curious," the wild boy replied. "Although, I do gotta admit, it does have a certain charm to it."

Nanashi raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure?"

"I don't really know." He shrugged. "It's like...how should I put it...it's like they have a certain aura to them. Sorta like a feeling of power or something."

 _'Well, he's rather perceptive,'_ Nanashi thought. _'Though he isn't necessarily wrong...after all, this scar, my eyes, and the mark on my hand...their proof that I'm a Godslayer.'_ A whimsical smile formed across his face. _'It's been a long time since I thought about how it all started.'_ A pained expression formed on his face, if only for a brief moment. _'Nikkari...Manabu...what would the both of you say...the people who taught me and Asahi...if you could see what's happened to me?'_

What would his mentors say about the path he's chosen? The choices he made? Would they understand? Or would they have opposed him like the rest?

 **"No time for thinking about the dead, kid."** Dagda interjected his musings. **"Remember, your the one who decided to choose to embrace your role as my Godslayer, so why ponder on the past? Focus on the present. After all...just because we're in a world separated from our own doesn't mean you should slack off. Even if this whole exercise about getting to know your partner is a complete waste of time."**

Nanashi grew silent. He knew Dagda had a point, but he can't help but remember that he was once human, who once cherished those close to him. These past ten years on Remnant with his new family reminded him that. "Hoy!" Walter called. "I think I found the temple!"

Nanashi snapped out of his mental debate and looked on ahead. Through the gaps in the trees. He was able to see a stone monument surrounded by fractured pillars. "Well, that was easier than I thought," the Godslayer mused as he and his partner stepped into the mass clearing. It was a pretty big area free of trees and foliage. The only prominent features were the stonework and temple in the middle of the area. Within the circle of the temple stood several podiums, each supporting a single chess piece.

Walter quirked an eyebrow. "...chess pieces?" he questioned. "Don't tell me these are the relics we're supposed to retrieve."

"Well, unless you know any other temples in the forest, I believe they are." His partner responded. That being said, Nanashi was also confused. Why chess pieces? Sure, they've been around for a long time, but he doubted they could even be considered relics. He saw that there were quite a few pieces missing, implying that others have already found the temple, and have taken their leave already. Among the remaining pieces were knights, rooks, bishops, pawns, yet no king or queen piece. Additionally, the pieces were black and white, much like traditional pieces were. He strode over to one of the pedestals, taking a black bishop piece. "Think this will do?" he asked, holding the piece up to Walter. The boy nodded. "Alright...guess we have our relic."

"Great," Walter said. "Now we just have to find our way back to the cliff. Shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Yeah, it wouldn't...if they weren't tossed around in direction from their landing strategies on top of combating the Grimm along the way. Nanashi sighed as he scratched the back of his head. It would be easier if he could use a demon to scout the area, but it was too risky. Chances were, the teachers had the entire area under surveillance, and he didn't want to risk being exposed. As irksome as it was, he played the role he had, the role of a Huntsman-in-training. As he thought more about the situation, he slipped the black bishop piece into his pocket. He then noticed two other figures approaching. One he recognized as his cousin, Cris, and the other...

"...you've got to be shitting me."

Walking right next to his cousin, dressed in a white shirt and pants, blue coat, and yellow scarf was none other than Johnathan. Former companion to Flynn and Walter and the embodiment of God's Chariot, Merkahbah. First Walter...and now Jonathan?! "Oi, Dagda!" Nanashi whispered. "The fuck is going on here?!"

 **"You got me, kid..."** The Celtic God, too, was confused by this revelation. First the host of Lucifer, now the Host of Merkahbah?! It was too much to be mere coincidence. But how? This world was supposed to be severed from the Axiom!

"How the hell is this possible?" the boy asked. "They were supposed to be apart of Satan when Lucifer and Merkabah merged together, so why are they here? I thought you said this place wasn't apart of the Axiom!"

 **"It is...and yet, here they are,"** Dagda said. **"Hm...interesting. I can feel the Demon Lord and the Chariot's power from them, but it's pretty damn weak. At the very least, they're stronger than the average Hunter. Still, this is interesting...if these guys are here, perhaps that idea of going back to our world may not be farfetched after all, kid."**

Those very words from the Irish God's mouth sparked hope within the God Slayer. A chance...yes...a chance to go back home! After all of this time, there was a chance...a chance for him to get back to his world, and bring back his friends. After all, two people from his world were here...of course, this begged the question; how did they come here? It would be took risky to try and outright confront them, otherwise they would suspicious. For now, he would just observe, and see if there were any changes. Given what he learned from Walter...it seemed like that they were reborn in Remnant, since Walter was the son of the Altesian General, James Ironwood. If there was the slightest chance one of them remembered anything about coming to this world, despite being "born" in it...then even the smallest bit of information would be helpful.

 _'Hold on, everyone...'_ Nanashi thought, clenching his fists. _'I'm going to see you all again, soon...even if you all hate me for the rest of my life.'_

From his place within the smartphone, Dagda stayed silent. Despite everything he told the kid, he still clung unto his friends...though it wasn't for the sake of strength. No, he didn't believe that. He didn't believe that choosing to bond with his friends would grant him strength. He knew that his power was his own, that he alone could allow his strength to reach new potential. He knew that he had the potential to become something greater...something MORE than human!

Yet he still clung to his friends. Dagda once questioned him about it. Why was he so fixated on them...when it was by his hands that cut them down?

Nanashi had given him his answer: "I cherish them because they stood by my side all this time. They helped me become the man I am now. Especially her..."

Humanity. That was what they were to him...the last vestiges of humanity. Personally speaking, Dagda thought it was useless. A Godslayer did not need humanity...but a God did, otherwise they would be no better than the stagnant, decaying deities that thrived in their world. Deities like the Divine Powers. In that case, Dagda supposed that those companions of his were a good thing. They taught him how to accept weakness and evolve, unknowingly molding him into a better Creator God than YHVH himself.

As much as he hated to admit it...those parasites were good for something at least.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Walter grinned, noticing Jonathan approaching. "What took you?"

"Sorry about that...we were caught up in the rampage of a passing Beringel." Johnathan rubbed the back of his neck.

"Beringel...wait, you fought an ape?!"

"Gorilla, actually," the black-haired partner of Jonathan's corrected. "A very, very pissed off gorilla."

"Man...you get all the luck, Johnathan...all Nanashi here and I got were a few wayward Beowolves and the occasional Ursa." Walter pouted.

"Nanashi?" Jonathan asked. He then noticed the green-eyed boy standing not far from him. "Oh...my apologies, I didn't see you there," he said apologetically before walking over, offering his hand in greeting. "My name's Jonathan. I'm a childhood friend of Walters. I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"Oi! I resent that!"

Nanashi smirked. "Nah, he was fine," he said. "Plus, it's more like trouble comes to us."

"Ain't that the truth..." Cris stated as he walked into view.

"So, your Jonathan's partner?" Walter asked.

"Yep. Name's Cris. Walter, right?"

"The one and only~"

"Good to meet ya. Johnathan's told me a lot about you." Cris extended his hand in greeting. Walter took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Good things I hope."

* * *

"...and there is our first team formation," Glynda said, observing the scene with a slight smile. "Quite ironic...Qrow's son with James', the heir of the Arc Family, and Nanashi Xiao Long. Quite the unusual team."

"Not true," Ozpin chuckled. "You forget about STRQ. THEY were the unusual team."

"...You got me there." She shook her head. "Still, I am curious to see how this dynamic works out."

* * *

"...oi, Nanashi!" a familiar voice cried out. The boy blinked, and looked off to the side to find a familiar mess of long blonde hair waving at him, accompanied by a black-clad girl. "Yoo! What's up?!"

Nanashi promptly groaned, and Cris visibly flinched. Walter and Jonathan looked at the girl curiously, having never seen her before. "Who's she?" Walter asked. "Friend of yours?"

"My sister," he answered. "Yang Xiao Long."

"Huh?" The wild-looking teen turned back to Yang, then to Nanashi, back to Yang, and back to Nanashi again. "...You two don't look alike at all."

"I'm adopted. That's why." Came the simple reply.

The two boys looked surprised at this, with Walter looking slightly ashamed of himself, and Jonathan with a sorrow look. Nanashi ignored them, and turned his attention the blonde brawler and her apparent partner. "Yo," he nodded to them. "Finally made it."

"Eh, ran into some trouble on the way here," Yang shrugged before grinning. "And nice to see you to, Ashi~"

Nanashi felt his eyebrow twitch. "...please don't call me that."

"Oh come on! It's your nickname! Why can't I call you that?"

"One, because it's annoying. And two, because I don't want you to."

Yang pouted. "Party pooper."

Blake ignored her antics, and instead looked at the relics with a frown. "Chess pieces?" she questioned, much like Walter had. "Are these the relics we're supposed to collect?"

"It would appear so," Jonathan said as he took one of the black bishop pieces, inspecting it. "Hm...despite the lustrous shine to them, there are quite a few cracks and nicks. I'm assuming that these have been used before."

"Is that so..."

Yang looked over to the relics. Curious, she picked up one of the pieces. It was the white knight piece. Grinning, she held it up to Blake. "How about the cute little pony?"

Blake gave a shrug, not caring either way. "Actually, miss Xiao Long," Jonathan chimed in. "That's the knight piece."

Walter sighed, shaking his head. "Seriously, Jonathan, you really need to-"

 _"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

Suddenly, the group was thrown on edge, as the scream echoed loudly into the air. "What in blazes was that?!" Walter shouted, looking around. "Damnation, that sounded like a woman screaming her head off!"

 **"Feh,** " Dagda scoffed. **"More like a man who's balls haven't dropped yet."**

"I'm betting it's Jaune." Nanashi muttered in response.

Johnathan, on the other hand looked up in thought. That scream...it sounded REALLY familiar...

Unfortunately, the surprises didn't end there, as they soon heard the sound of roars and snarls coming from behind them. The group whirled around to find an Ursa emerging from the forest, standing on it's hind legs and roaring and snarling. As the three prepared for combat, a loud voice yelled "YEEHAW!" before the large beast suddenly ceased, it's body swaying and falling to the ground. Falling off of it was a girl with short orange hair and turquoise eyes. Her clothing was a mix and match of some sort, with different colors and themes. She wore a collared black vest that ended at her waist. Her apparent emblem, a hammer with a lightning bolt, was found on the back. Under the vest were two layers of clothing, colored red and light-blue respectively. She sported a turquoise bow at the back of her skirt. She also wore a white sleeveless top that forms a tiny heart shape between her cleavage and collarbone, with a white detached sleeve on each arm. She wore matching fingerless gloves on each hand. She sported a pink skirt that starts at the waist and ends mid-thigh. Her shoes were a mix of pink and white with pink laces, displaying her emblem on their soles. She also wore armor that began in the middle of the shoulder and neck and ends by the waist. "Aww, it's broken!" the girl pouted before she hopped atop it's body, looking down at the corpse. "Ewww..."

"Nora...?" a weak voice called out. Staggering away from the Ursa, clearly winded, was a male teenager with long black hair tied into a ponytail that ended midway down his back. There was a magenta streak on the left side of his hair. His eyes were pale pink, and wore a dark green, diagonally-buttoned, long-sleeved tailcoat that was red on the inside, with black and gold trimming and pink cuffs. The trimming went down the right side of his torso and formed a black collar. He also wore a black, long-sleeved shirt beneath the suit, and light-tan pants with black shoes. "Please," he begged. "Never do that again." To his confusion, the girl was gone, causing him to look around wildly for her.

He didn't have to look far, as in a split second, she was right next to Yang, looking at a white Rook piece. "Ooooh~!" she said, ogling the piece before she darted around with the chess piece atop her head. "I'm Queen of the Castle~! I'm Queen of the Castle~!"

"NORA!"

Nora stopped her little dance and grinned. "Heehee...Coming Ren~" She saluted as she dropped the Rook from her head into her hand and skipped over to her partner.

The six teens blinked rapidly at what they had seen before Walter spoke up, voicing the thoughts on everyone's mind. "Did that girl...just come here...riding atop an Ursa?"

"Uh..." Yang tried to answer, but stopped when she heard very familiar screams of terror. Nanashi heard them as well.

"Uh, Yang..." Blake heard the sound before either of the siblings and simply pointed upward.

And then they promptly panicked.

"RUBY!"

The silver-eyed girl was falling down from the sky at break-neck speed, flailing her arms helplessly as she came ever closer to the earth, awaiting to become a sickening splat. "HEEEEAAAAADS UUUUUUUP!"

However, as she continued to fall, a yellow blur flew in and intercepted her fall, causing both figures to crash into a tree instead. The large tower of wood shook, and a few birds flew out. The group looked on in worry, though once Walter and Jonathan got a look at what hit Ruby and knocked her into the tree, thus saving her life, their eyes widened.

"JAUNE?!"

The blonde knight was too dizzy to respond to the outcries of his friend and brother, as swirls were rolling in his eyes, and Nevermores dancing around his head. On the ground, the two teens minds were racing with questions. Why was Jaune here? How did he get here? What is he doing here? Why isn't he at home? Doesn't he know how dangerous it is? Etc.

Blake, however, was still surprised by what she had seen. "...did your sister just fall from the sky?"

Yang opened her mouth, but before she could breathe out a word, a familiar red-head emerged from the forest, running at top speed while breaking through the thicket, much to the group's utter shock and horror, was a gigantic creature covered in thick white armor, two pincers for claws, a giant golden stinger attached to it's tail, and several red eyes. 'Oh, hell...' Nanashi groaned. 'Of all the Grimm...'

On Pyrrha's tail was a Deathstalker, one the size of an average bus. Based on this, he deduced it to be an Elder Deathstalker, one that's been around from quite sometime.

"Did she just come here with a Deathstalker on her tail?" Blake questioned, growing further confused by every passing moment.

"Grr..." Yang growled. The Godslayer looked at her sister. She looked about ready to blow. That was never a good sign. "...GRAAAAAGH! I can't take it anymore! Can't everyone just chill out for like, two seconds before something crazy happens?!" As if on cue, Pyrrha brought up her shield, defending against the lashing of one of the pincers, throwing her back. Ruby snapped out of her daze, shaking her head, and looked at the sight in front of her. "Oh, crap!" Her eyes widened as she quickly lept up. "Sorry, Jaune! Be right back!"

"W-wait, Ruby-!"

She was already leaping out of the tree, using the recoil of her gun to launch her forward, speeding toward to catch Pyrrha. The two tumbled through the ground, eventually coming to a stop next to Rouge and the others.

"Uh, Hi guys!" Ruby waved at her brother and sister from the ground.

"Ruby!" Yang cheered, running to hug her sister.

"Yang!" Ruby cried as she leaped up to her feet, about to reciprocate-

"NORA!"

The ginger girl jumped up from between them, causing interference.

"Well isn't she chipper?" Nanashi mused.

Ren sighed. "You have no idea..."

"...wait," Pyrrha looked around, clearly troubled. "Where's Weiss?"

 _"YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU DDDDDDDUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEE!"_

Everyone looked up to the sky. "...found her." Nanashi deadpanned. The Schnee Heiress was hanging onto the Nevermore's feathers for dear life.

"...I said jump..." Ruby retorted meekly.

"She's gonna fall." Blake pointed out.

"She'll be fine." Ruby said in fake assurance.

"She's falling." Ren stated.

The white-haired girl was now plummeting downwards, arms and legs flailing all the while screaming. Jaune finally managed to remove himself from whatever was holding him, and looked up to find the girl falling. He was about to run in and grab her as she fell, but then looked at the ground. He gulped, seeing the distance down. "O-oh boy..." he gaped, feeling his stomach beginning to churn in ways it was not supposed to. "This is...so gonna hurt, isn't it?" He took a deep breath, tapping his cheeks as he took a few steps back. "O-okay... You can do this, Jaune. You can do this. Just..."

He gulped.

"...don't die."

He jumped.

In midflight, he managed to catch the falling girl in his arms. 'Whew! Made it! Still alive too!' He mentally sighed with relief. It took him a second to remember that they were still in mid-air, prompting him to panic.

"OOOOOOH CRAAAAAAAAP!"

Jaune fell on the ground first. Weiss followed immediately after, on his back.

"My hero," she said as he looked at her nails, disinterested.

Jaune, however, groaned. He wasn't going to tell her how heavy she was, but he was most certainly going to complain about the pain she had inflicted on his body. "My back..."

"Are you two alright?!" Johnathan asked in concern as he and Walter moved in to help them up.

Weiss nodded gratefully to Jonathan while Walter hoisted Jaune up, who groaned and winced in pain. "Owowowowow..." he repeated in pain. "Gah...I really wanna say something, but I don't want to get smacked for it."

"Well, least your still alive," Walter quipped. "Anyway, what the heck are you doing here? I thought you were back home!"

Jaune chuckled nervously, scratching his cheek. "K-kind of a...long story..."

"Great!" Yang threw her hands in the air, looking rather exasperated by the long string of events. "Now we get to die together!"

They had two Grimm, some of the more dangerous species, blocking them off back to the Cliff. The Deathstalker, which was slowly advancing towards them with the intent on skewering them with it's stinger, and up above, the Nevermore was circling around, as if looking for it's prey

Jaune paled as he saw the Grimm, not liking the odds. "We are so screwed..."

"Not if I can help it!" Ruby cried, suddenly ran forward, reaching for Crescent Rose, which unfurled into it's scythe form. Yang shouted for her to stop, but Ruby was already in motion. The scythe suddenly let loose a loud 'BANG!', causing it to recoil, and send her flying straight towards the Death Stalker. Rouge' eyes widened in horror. What in the hell was she thinking?! She was being stupid! She couldn't go up against a Death Stalker by herself! This fact was made evident when it swung it's pincer at her, knocking her away. Her body slid across the ground before she stood back up on shaky feet, easily rattled by the attack. "D-do-don't worry!" she called out weakly. "Totally fine!" She aimed the tip of her scythe, allowing another 'BANG!' to pierce in the air. The shot didn't even so much as affect the Death Stalker, it's armor to thick to penetrate.

Seeing her attack ineffective, Ruby chose the correct course of action. She disengaged her weapon as it folded in on itself, and slipped it behind her back as she took off in a run. "Ruby!" Yang called out in concern, running after her sister. Unfortunately, the Nevermore had noticed them, and began to chase after the red-hooded girl. It let out a blood-curdling caw as it swung it's wings, shooting several fathers that would make the girl it's pincushion. Thankfully, none of them hit her, but one did impale itself on her cape, halting her movements, while the rest impeded Yang's progress. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the Death Stalker creep up on the smaller girl. "Ruby, get out of there!"

"I'm trying!" she shouted back, but only now realized the dire situation as the Death Stalker reared back it's stinger, intent on running her through. She shut her eyes.

She awaiting the unbearable pain of her body being run through by the pointed appendage...yet nothing came.

"You are so childish!"

The girl opened her eyes, and found an incredible sight in front of her...a gigantic block of ice that trapped the giant scorpion's stinger and right pincer.

Weiss Schnee glared at her as she removed Myrtenaster, turning to face her young partner with a cross look on her face. Ruby gawked, seeing that had chewed her out relentlessly earlier standing right in front of her. The white-haired heiress' rapier that she had removed from the ground was orginally embedded into the earth, trapping the stinger in its frozen prison. "And dim-witted, and hyperactive..." Weiss continued as she stood up, glaring at her with scrutiny. "...and don't even get me started on your fighting style." She paused. "And, I suppose..." she looked away, appearing to be slightly abashed. "I can be a bit... difficult."

"...but if we're going to do this," she looked back at Ruby, narrowing her eyes. "We're going to have to do this together. So, if YOU quit trying to show off, I'll be..." She hesitated once more, mentally cursing herself for doing so twice in a row. "Nicer."

Ruby looked at the ground. "I'm not trying to show off," she insisted. "I want you guys to know, I can do this."

"You're fine." Weiss shook her head, a miniscule smile on her face.

The others smiled at the heartwarming scene...until the sound of crashing trees and thundering footsteps echoed through the clearing. Clearly, the Mevermore and Deathstalker were not the only things they had to worry about. Whatever was coming...it was big.

"Great," Cris groaned. "What now?!"

His rhetorical question was answered as a hulking shadow jumped from the treeline and landed in the clearing in a thundering crash, the ground cracking beneath its feet. The figure was crouched in a landing, before it rose to its full height. It's massive fists drumming against its chest.

Walter's eyes widened. "...Jonathan," he said quietly. "Cris...by any chance, was this the Beringel you pissed off?"

"No," Cris answered grimly. "Namely...because this thing is bigger."

The massive Grimm dropped down to all fours, it's fists making deep indentations in the ground and shaking the foundation it stood. It's mask was fracked and scarred as its red eyes glowered right at them.

"...okay," Yang sweated. "Anyone in favor of running?"

"Yeah. Our objective is to retrieve the artifacts and make it back to the cliff. We don't have to fight them." Ruby reminded them.

"Run and live. An idea I can get behind by." Jaune sighed in relief.

Ruby smiled as she took one of the white chess pieces, the same one that Yang had taken earlier; the white Knight. She looked back at Jaune as he took a white rook piece, and he nodded back at her. Cris took the same piece that Nanashi had, the black bishop, and soon joined the two. They then pocketed away the relics, and quickly moved away from the sight. "Let's go!" the red reaper said as she ran up the hill. Others followed behind her, with the Grimm behind them giving chase.

Nanashi's eyes narrowed. 'Even if we reach the cliff, the odds are still bad,' he thought. 'The Nevermore and Deathstalker could be easy, but that Beringel...it's size is huge.' A scowl formed across his face. 'If it weren't for the fact that there were so many people here, and that we're being watched, I could use my abilities here. The Grimm aren't like demons...no matter the size, they can't compare to what I've fought.' That said, the odds weren't looking good. If they fought all three at once, it would be a disaster.

Then, an idea came to him.

"Walter, Cris, Jonathan," he called to the three. "I have an idea!"

"What is it?!" Cris asked. "For our sakes, I hope it's good!"

"Ruby, we'll meet up with you later!"

That caused the silver-eyed girl to look over her shoulder in shock. "N-Nanashi, what are you-?!"

The Godslayer stopped in his tracks, and whirled around. He took out his gun, and opened fire...right at the large Beringel. "Hey! King Kong!" he jeered. "Over here!" The bullets ricocheted off the Grimm's face. Nevertheless, the action focused its attention on, Nanashi. Lethal red eyes met green as the Godlsyer continued to fire bullets before running further from the group.

"Nanashi?!" Cris gawked, running after his friend. "Have you gone mad?!"

Walter boomed with laughter. "Now that's my kind of guy~" he howled. "Come on, Jonathan! Break a leg! We've got an ape to take down!"

The swordsman could barely believe what was happening. The sheer scale of madness that was happening here was absolutely ludicrous . A part of him wondered if his friend had gone mad, if he found something like this exciting. He then chased after the others, with the Beringel chasing after them at top speed. The others, meanwhile, were in shock by what happened. That was Nanashi's plan?! Leading it away?! What was he thinking?! That thing could flatten him!

Unfortunately, the squawk of the Nevermore above them, and the hiss of the Deathstalker, reminded them that they needed to keep moving.

* * *

(Blue Dragon OST - Eternity)

Nanashi wasn't quite sure how long he had run with his partner, cousin, and Jonathan. He didn't bother to think. Instead, he just ran as fast as he could, adrenaline pumping in his veins with the roar of the Beringel behind them, not out of sight. "Alright, you got it's attention, Ashi!" Cris shouted, running beside him. "Now what?!"

"Now, we lead it away from the others and into a secure location! Then...we take it down!" He responded.

The wild boy smirked. "Nanashi...have I ever told you how much I like you right now?"

The Beringel let out a roar as it leaped up, latching on to one of the trees. It pounded on it's chest before it grabbed one of the trees near it. Effortlessly, it ripped off a good portion of the tree, lifting it up, and throwing it at the four. Cris' eyes widened, and shouted, "SCATTER!" The four huntsmen in training shot off to different directions as the massive piece of foliage impacted the spot they previous stood. The wood splintered upon impact, breaking apart into large pieces. They quickly took cover behind the trees, while the Beringel remained up on it's perch.

Nanashi's mind raced, trying to devise a strategy to take this massive Grimm down.

 _'Che...this would be so easier if I could use magic.'_

He had the power and ability to take down this Beringle in a matter of seconds, and he can't do it lest he expose his true nature. He had been careful during his time here in Remnant. As far as he knew, no one could use magic, except the characters in the fairy tale; the Seasonal Maidens. Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall. His abilities could definitely arouse suspicion...especially if they ever saw a demon. As painstaking as it was, he would rather not expose himself, and end up fighting off everyone around him. He had enough massacre to last him a lifetime. He had slain the majority of the Hunter Association, Ring of Gaea, and the Samurai, when they tried to oppose him upon learning he intended to create a new universe. He tried to tell them that it was useless, that they stood no chance against them and that they should just leave him be, lest they join his friends...but like them, they refused, and fought to the bitter end.

And they all became naught but a pile of corpses before his feet. By his hand, all three groups were eradicated. He became the sole person in Tokyo able to summon Demons. After that, he went to the Kingdom of Mikado on a mission. When he arrived, every citizen was infected by another damned machination of YHVH, the Demon Gene. If left alone, the Demon Gene would corrupt everyone in Tokyo. For the few people alive in that city, he did what he could, and slaughtered everyone in Mikado. Including Hugo, who had become the "incubator" of the Demonic Gene. What might have been the proud millennium kingdom...was now the lifeless ruins of a country.

The society built by his previous incarnation, Akira, was torn apart and erased by his own hand in a single day. Anyway, back to the matter at hand, how was he supposed to deal with that damned Beringel? It's armor was thick, and it had quite a bit of muscle, so he doubted any of his rounds could pierce it, unless he used his Awakened Power.

Also...was it just his imagination, or was that damned King Kong wannabe looking directly at him?

The Beringels eyes were not trained on any of the others, but him! It's face warped into a raging snarl. It took him a second to realize why. After all, he was the reason it was even here.

"..well, shit."

The Beringel let out a roar, and leaped, arms raised. It hit the ground and broke out into a mad dash on all fours straight at the God Slayer.

"Oh, shit!" Cris cried out. "Nanashi, get out of the way!"

The fifteen year old didn't need to be told twice. He hopped out of his shelter and sprinted away from the beast's charge. He landed on his hand, using it to leap further out of the way. The Beringel plowed through a few trees, and skidded to a stop. Without missing a beat, it grabbed one of the destroyed pieces, and threw it. Nanashi quickly jumped up to avoid crashing into it, stabbing his sword into the trunk of a large tree. He flipped himself up on top of his weapon, and stared down at the Beringel with narrowed eyes. The creature was still focused on him. A curse escaped him again. He was seriously wishing that these guys weren't around and that he wasn't being watched. It would make dealing with this son of a bitch so much easier!

Cris, however, seemed to grow tired of waiting for the opportune moment to strike. He emerged from his hiding spot, holding his rifle, and opened fire. The bullet pierced into the skin and pounced off the armor, but none of it did any actual damage. To the large Grimm, it was probably very annoying. The Beringel glowered, glaring down at him, and roared. It smashed its hands into the ground, fingers digging into the earth, and proceeded to tear out a large chunk of stone, causing everyone to look on in shock. 'How the hell is it even that strong?!' Walter thought in disbelief. He knew it was an elder Grimm, and that Beringel were powerhouses, but the physical strength alone was...insane! Gripping the debris, the Grimm threw it at Cris. It was too big to dodge.

Walter, however, had a surprise. He was quickly in front of his friend, and his scimitar drawn. His eyes turned dark red, and the edge of his blade glowed brightly. Steam began rising off of it. He held it with both hands, and swung with all of his might, letting out a battle cry in the process. "TWWWORRRAAAGH!" The swing left behind a blazing trail, slicing straight through the debris. As it hit the ground, it broke apart, revealing that the swing had sliced it into two halves, leaving the broken pieces to scatter around them.

 **"Interesting,"** Dagda noted. **"Looks like he applied Agi-elemental abilities into his sword. Chances are, it's related to what little power he has of Lucifer's, which is probably his Semblance now."**

Nanashi silently nodded. If they really were reincarnations of Lucifer's and Merkabah's hosts, they they were sure to have residual traces of their powers. If those flames were Walter's ability, he assumed Johnathan's was related to light.

"Damn," Walter said gruffly as the Beringel roared at him in rage. "He's a real charmer, isn't he?"

"T-thanks for the save, Walter."

"Don't mention it, Cris." The wild boy may have just met him, but he could tell he was a pretty decent guy. He'd have no qualms if he were on his team. But for now...he had to ensure that all of them made it out of this alive.

Johnathan shared his friend's sentiments as he moved out from his position and drew his own sword. "Walter...how good do you think are odds are?"

Walter smirked wryly. "Chances are...we're not gonna come out of this without a few broken bones," a chuckle escaped him. "I hear girls dig scars, though...course that means killing King Kong over here!"

"In that case," Cris smirked, his eyes turning red. He swiped his weapon, and Monochrome Chrome entered it's scythe form, resembling a mix of his cousin's Crescent Rose, and his father's own weapon. "Let's get to work! Hey, Ashi! Get the lead out!"

Nanashi sighed. "I'll let it slide this once," he said as he stared down the Beringel. "Alright...IKUZE!"

"Right!" In agreement, the four moved into position to take down the massive Grimm. Nanashi took the vanguard while Johnathan and Walter moved to either side of the Beringel while Cris took up the rear of the pack. The Grimm let out a beastial roar, and pounded at it's chest, as if making a declaration of war. Nanashi let his body fall from his perch, pulling out his sword as he descended, and went straight for the large black ape.

* * *

This was a bad situation. She vaguely remembered the saying, "a rock and a hard place," but this was just outright ridiculous. Not only were they dealing with a Death Stalker, who Nora and Ren stated that they would hold off, but they were also trying to deal with a Nevermore that was trying to turn them into it's own personal pincushion. Needless to say, this was NOT the sort of situation Ruby wanted to be in. The girl ran further into the ruins with the girls and Jaune. As they did, Pyrrha slid her feet before coming to a halt, bringing out her weapon. "Go, go!" she shouted at them as she went to help the two. She took to Ren's side, and her sword shifted into a double-barreled rifle. They opened fire on the beast as it chased after Nora, who was quickly fleeing to avoid it, but the rounds merely bounced off the shells. Once the excited girl ran past them, they quickly fell back as it swung it's pincers together in an attempt to grab them, only to swipe at air. Due to the narrowness of the bridge, it was impossible for to track after them.

Unfortunately for them, the Nevermore had not forgotten about them as it quickly flew by the large structures around the bridge. It's target was clear in sight. Ruby' eyes widened, and turned to her partner, friend, and teammate. "Brace yourselves!" The next second, the bird Grimm rammed it's body into the bridge, causing it to break apart into debris. The group was scattered, with Blake, Pyrrha, and Ren falling to where the Death Stalker was, and the rest on the other side, close to the cliff. Jaune groaned, feeling the impact of being flung away, rubbing his head and back before he turned his attention to the three fighting the scorpion. His eyes widened in concern as he watched Blake, who was the only one among the group without a long-range weapon, get flung back after being hit by one of it's pincers.

"Oh crap!" he exclaimed in fright. "We have to help them!" He frowned heavily at the gap. There was no way to jump the gap, so how were they supposed to get over there? He looked around his surroundings, trying to find some way to reach them. It was then that he noticed the fissures running along the destroyed portion of the bridge, which ran all the way behind him. An idea streaked across his mind, but it made him pale and gulp. ' _This is crazy...'_ he thought. ' _Totally, utterly crazy, but..._ ' He turned to Nora, who looked concern for Ren's safety. "U-um... Nora, right?" The girl turned to him, nodding. "T-this is gonna sound crazy, but... can we make this thing into a launching pad?"

The girl cocked her head to the side, but she quickly got the idea. "Aye aye, Captain~!" she sung as she brandished her weapon, which quickly turned into a large silver hammer. Jaune knew this was going to be a bad idea, but if it was going to help him save his friends, then it was worth doing... He just hoped it wouldn't get him killed. He quickly made his way to where the fissures end, while Nora stood at the opposing side. "You ready?!"

"Honestly?" he deadpanned. "...no."

Nora took this as a 'yes,' grinning like a demented madman, and jumped up. She reared back her hammer, and swung down, creating an explosive blast. The fissures broke apart, and the platform they stood on broke apart, becoming a makeshift launching pad for Jaune. Nora, meanwhile, hopped atop the large head of her axe, and fired off another explosive blast, sending her flying with him. The blonde hit the ground hard, groaning as he landed on his face while Nora fired off another blast as soon as she reached them, launching her into the air. "Nora SMASH!" she cried as she swung her hammer down on the Death Stalker. The force of the swing, with the explosive kickback, as enough to knock it into the ground. Hissing in anger, the scorpion tried to impale her with it's stinger, only for her to jump back. Sadly, she hadn't noticed Blake behind her.

The two collided, and Blake was sent flying off the bridge, spiraling towards the abyss below her. She quickly reoriented herself, and slipped her weapon into it's secondary form. She swung it while a black band wrapped around her wrist. Gambal Shroud struck the side of the bridge, allowing her to swing through the air. Her eyes caught sight of the Nevermore, and narrowed her eyes. She quickly pulled back her weapon, which came flying back to her thanks to the retraction system, and then began another swinging movement by throwing it at the tower close by. Her body swung through the air, and was now in the Nevermore's path.

Another swift tug brought the weapon back, and returned to it's original form. The Nevermore was now directly in front of her.

"...my turn."

She changed her weapon, Gambol Shroud, into its firearm mode. She grabbed the Nevermore by the face as it flew straight at her and aimed the barrel of her gun right in its eye. She pulled the trigger. The creature squealed in pain before Blake quickly delivered several quick slashes. She then jumped up to it's back, and ran along it's spine, hacking away at it before jumping off, landing atop a portion of the ruined tower before joining Yang, Ruby, and Weiss. "It's tougher than it looks!" she mentioned, slightly winded.

Yang glared at the black bird before them as she rammed her fists together. "Then let's hit it with everything we've got!" she declared. At this, everyone brandished their weapons. Ruby's Crescent Rose unfurled into it's scythe form while Weiss twirled about, runes dancing underneath her as streaks of blue and red formed around her. Blake switched Gambal Shroud into it's firearm, and took aim. Everyone then began to shoot at the Nevermore. However, it simply withstood all the blasts and let out a caw as it swung it's wings again, shooting out several feathers with the intent to skewer them. The group braced themselves, as the hail of feathers came straight for them. They managed to endure, knocking them back. However, the Nevermore came in forwards, as it had done before. It rammed it's body once again into the structure, causing it to break apart and fall. The girls were resourceful and used the rubble to jump up back to ground, with Yang and Ruby using the recoil of their weapons to shoot them upward. Blake relied on their own agility and dexterity to reach the bridge again, while Weiss simply used her runes to jump along the air. Yang landed on the opposite side of Ruby and Weiss as she charged in once again. The heiress scowled heavily, glaring at the Nevermore as it flew above them. "None of this is working!" Ruby looked concerned before she noticed Blake landing on another platform, having used Gambal Shroud to swing over to it. The gears in her head began to whirl as she turned her attention to Yang, who was unloading shot after shot with her Ember Celica, also taking care to avoid being skewered by the incoming feathers.

Her silver eyes widened, a picture forming in her head, and turned to Weiss. "I have a plan!"

* * *

"We gotta move!" Jaune called out as the platform beneath them began to gave way after the death Stalker rammed it's stinger into the ground, failing to hit Nora as she jumped back to avoid being stung. The force of the strike caused the platform to break apart and fall. The four were quick to run up the descending platform, running straight into the jaws of the Grimm in front of them. It swung it's pincer at them, intending to crush them, but Pyrrha intercepted, defending against it before parrying with her blade. The swing pincer tried to attack her blind spot, but Jaune moved in to defend her, using his shield to block it. Pyrrha used this opportunity to knock back the second pincer, leaving it open. Ren moved in, dashing to the side to avoid being hit by the stinger before latching unto it. He began to open fire on the beast, now directly above it while Nora unloaded her grenade launcher into the bast. The beast, now livid, tried to crush her with both pincers at once, but the two shield-bearers moved in to defend her at once. The brunt of the attack sent them both sliding back, with Jaune tumbling to the ground. The red-haired warrior, however, threw her weapon, now in the form of a javelin. It tried to defend itself, but the javelin went through the small gap between the pincers, and struck it in the eye.

It wailed in pain as it swung it's tail violently, throwing Ren off of it. "Ren!" Nora cried in concern as he was thrown against a pillar. Jaune was about to call over to him, but then noticed the now dangling stinger above the Death Stalker's head. 'It's loose?' he questioned before his eyes widened. 'Wait, that's it!'

"Pyrrha!"

The girl understood the plan immediately, grinning. "Done!" She swung her shield, which span right for the target. The sharpness of the edge was enough to cleanly cut through the remaining flesh binding the tail and stinger together, causing it to lodge in the armor.

"Nora!"

Said girl smiled like a madman as she jumped atop Pyrrha's shield, which returned to her like a boomerang, her weapon already in hammer form. Pyrrha thrusted her upward at the same time Nora fired off her weapon, leaving her to fly through the air, smiling as she sat atop the shaft of her weapon before descending towards the Death Stalker. "BOOM BABY!" she cried as she slammed the hammer down on the stinger, forcing it to break through the air, and straight into the body of the beast. The force of the impact, both from altitude velocity and the amount of strength the explosive kickback, caused the ground beneath them to break apart. Jaune and Pyrrha quickly jumped out of harm's way, while Nora used another explosive kickback to throw her to her friends, leaving the Death Stalker to fall to the misty depths below them.

The ginger flipped in the air from the impact and landed on her feet. Pyrrha and Jaune knelt on the ground out of exhaustion from their fight. Meanwhile, a tired Ren slowly walked up to the group...only to fall face first on the ground.

"I hurt...all over..."

Jaune agreed with him completely.

* * *

"I!"

 ** _BANG_**!

"Hope!"

 ** _BANG!_**

"You're!"

 ** _BANG!_**

"Hungry!"

 ** _BANG!_**

Yang screamed as she fired shotgun rounds into the Nevermore's open beak. The gigantic Grimm flew and tumbled in the air, no doubt feeling the pain of bullets entering its esophagus. With her part done, Yang jumped away, landing on the ground while leaving the Nevermore to crash into the wall. The blonde brawler smirked as Weiss shot past her, leaping into the air with runes dancing along the shaft of her raper. With a thrust, ice formed and captured the beast by it's tail, ensuring no chances of escape from it. She then returned to her comrades, leaping back to them via bouncing off a rune. Blake released Gambal Shroud, launching it at Yang, who caught the blade and then embedded it into another pillar, thus creating a band. Ruby shot forward, propelling herself forward and catching the band with her scythe.

"Of course you would come up with this idea." Weiss scoffed as she pulled Ruby back with another rune, keeping her in place.

The girl smiled. "Think you can make the shot?"

"Hmph," the heiress grunted. "Can I?"

The silver-eyed girl cocked her head to the side, turning to Weiss. "Can-"

"Of course I can!" she snapped angrily. Ruby nodded, and released the shell casing, leaving a new round to enter the chamber. As soon as Weiss dismissed the sigil, Ruby pulled the trigger, and her Semblance roared to life, causing her to shoot forward at top speed towards the pinned gigantic bird. She landed on the face of the cliff, her scythe catching the Nevermore by the throat. Weiss created glyphs beneath the girl's feet to maintain her traction. Ruby then broke out into a run immediately after landing. As she ran, more glyphs appeared. The Grimm cawed and struggled as it was yanked up by the neck. Ruby fired a shot every so often to give her a boost of speed to overcome gravity. Her speed semblance also helped as she did not lose any momentum. As soon as she made it past the edge of the cliff, she gave one final gunshot, causing the blade of her weapon to give an abrupt jerk, beheading the massive creature.

Red petals danced in the air as the now headless Grimm descended into the abyss to join the Death Stalker, slowly dissolving in the air, thus joining the scattering roses. From where he stood, Jaune was left gaping. "...whoa..."

"Well." Yang grinned. "That was a thing."

* * *

"Gah!"

"Ghurk!"

Cris and Jonathan grunted as they were thrown back, their bodies tumbling through the ground. As they soon reached their stop, their bodies ached and throbbed in pain, likely due to the Beringel throwing and tossing and bashing them around like rag dolls. Once they stopped, they groaned, feeling pain running through their body. Ahead of them, Walter and Nanashi were darting around, avoiding the Beringel as it continued to swing it's arms around wildly, hoping to crush them. They had to duck and weave around the Grimm's massive fists. Even then, they still can't get close enough. Nanashi has been firing bullets while Walter created blazing arcs from his sword to attack from their distance. But none of it worked.

"Dammit!" Walter growled. "Nothing's working!"

"Walter, to your left!" Nanashi called. The Beringel swung it's arm at an angle, as if to squash the wild boy. He jumped away to avoid it, but the strike tore up the ground. Nanashi leaped away to avoid being squashed as well when it focused it's attention on him. "Tch...stubborn monkey."

The massive ape roared before beating its chest in rage.

"Congrats, Nanashi," Walter joked. "You just pissed it off."

"I'm surprised it can even hear me with all the noise it's making."

The Beringel seemed to grow even more infuriated with him, and began to strike wildly at him again. The two continued to dodge it and try to strike at it, dealing only small damage. The terrain was being ripped apart, from the earth being upturned to the trees being pulled from the roots...anything around it was being used as a weapon. _'Why is this reminding me of that one video game Yang showed me. Where that gorilla was throwing barrels down a ramp?'_ Nanashi mused as he evaded the debris. He briefly remembered the title, 'Donkey Kong,' or something along those lines. Regardless, he was beginning to feel like the character who the gorilla was trying to kill. It was quite frustrating, knowing that he could end this in an instant, but was unable to due to having to limit himself. He kept his power under low key, but with how this was going, he was beginning to feel that he should just screw secrecy and kill it here and now.

As he thought this, Walter found himself being put on the defensive, as he raised his blade and activated his Semblance, as the Beringel slammed it's hand down on him. The earth shuddered, and the ground beneath him cracked. The blunt end of the blade began to dig into his hand as he used his free hand to keep it from falling, while the edge of the blade cut into the skin. The blistering heat and intense flame caused the skin to enflame and blister, leaving behind red cracks with flames burning from it. The Beringel receded it's hand, screaming out in rage before roaring and slamming it's hand into him, sending him flying. "Gah!" he cried as his body smacked into a tree, breaking through it and causing it to timber. He hit the ground harshly, crying out in pain as he tried to stand, only to fall on all fours.

"Walter!" Nanashi cried in concern, taking his eyes off of the Grimm.

It proved to be a fatal mistake.

As soon as he averted his gaze from his foe, the Beringel rushed up to him and wrapped its hand around his body in an iron grip. Nanashi felt his bone crack from the quick and heavy constriction. But the Grimm did not stop there. It raised his clenched hand holding Nanashi high before slamming him back into the ground. The body felt the impact shatter his bones. But the Beringel did not stop there. It raised its arm, then slammed it down. Raised it up, slammed it down. Over and over and over and over. Knowing that its prey was caught, it will keep doing so until it was reduced to a stain of blood and bone fragments.

The three teens could only watch in horror as the green-clad boy was being thrashed around like a rag doll. Blood filled the cracks of the crater from the point of impact, and the sickening crunch of bone and squelch of internal organs resounded through the air with each devastating blow. Finally, it ended it's sickening onslaught by grabbing him by the leg, and thrown straight into the largest tree. As soon as his body struck the trunk, the bark was completely torn off. His body hung there, limp, before he fell to the ground.

He didn't get back up. Walter had to avert his gaze while biting his lip. Johnathan could only stare silently with an expression of pure distress. Cris felt like throwing up.

Nanashi's body...or rather...what's left of it, was a complete, bloody mess. His limbs were mangled so badly that pieces of bone were protruding from several spots along his flesh. His arms looked like they have been pressed and crushed by a vice. They looked like fat, flat noodles. His legs were no better. The knees were bending in the reverse direction and his femurs and shins were broken off, only hanging on by sinews of muscle tissue and skin. His torso looked like a crumpled soda can, completely crushed and malformed. His ribs were shattered, several of them broke the skin, and quite possibly several vital organs like his lungs and heart. His spine was broken in several places, making his upper torso slump forward in awkward angles. His neck was snapped as well, his head being turned around more than it was supposed to and his neck bent in the opposite direction from his face, which was doing no better. His jaw was shattered, his cranium looked like it was crumpled with his skull completely fractured with blood and what appeared to be gray matter leaking through the gaps. Blood pours down his nose, mouth, and numerous gashes along his face.

None of them even hoped he would survive that, least of all Cris who knew of his cousin's Aura deficiency. There was no use in denying it after what they saw.

Nanashi was dead.

"N-no...no way..." Walter gaped. "T-this...this can't be..."

The Beringel, seeing it's work, let out a triumphant roar, banging it's fists against it's chest.

* * *

When Nanashi opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a very familiar place, and immediately felt irritation. "...I got killed by a fucking oversized ape," he said. There was no emotion in his voice, yet it was clear that there was something behind it. "Out of all the things that could have killed me in Remnant...it was a stupid. Fucking. APE."

 **"That's what you get for worrying about other people, kid."** Dagda said, standing before his Godslayer with his arms folded across his chest. **"I've told you before...stop relying on others. Bonds holds you back. Friendship makes you weak. Surely, you understand that by now. After all, you've made it this far, haven't you?"**

Nanashi held his tongue. Dagda was right...up to a point. He DID make it this far, but for the majority of his journey, he had his friends to support him. However, it all changed after she was killed by Shesa for protecting him. At that moment, everything suddenly spiraled out of control. Every feeling he had...every hope he had...gone...vanished as quickly as her death. Nanashi's hand went to the pair of goggles wrapped around his neck, the only thing that could be salvaged from her remains. He felt dread. He felt sorrow. He felt rage. He felt emptiness. He felt despair. He felt like he lost what kept him human.

Asahi...was the only light he had. Even when he became a Godslayer, he still hung close to her. It was like she was his humanity...but overtime, that role also extended to his friends. To Navarre, to Nozomi, to Hallelujah, to Gaston, to Toki, to Isabeau...everyone he thought as a friend, was his last link to humanity.

And it was by his own two hands that he stopped being "human."

Even though it brought forth untold despair, sorrow, and grief into his heart, he severed his bonds, and embraced his newfound self. The human called Nanashi was gone...and all that was left was Nanashi the Godslayer. The boy that was brought back from death by the hands of the God known as Dagda.

 **"So, enlighten me, kid...why do you still think you can actually put any stock in bonds, when you know how fragile they are?"** Dagda questioned, waving his hand. **"When it came down to it, you turned on your own friends, all to ensure a world free from YHVH. You CHOSE this path. You could have gone against me...even though it would have ended with you going back to being a corpse."** He let out a dark chuckle at that. **"So, answer me...why do you still think you can trust this notion of friendship, when you obviously have no need for it?"**

"...because I need it to remind me of who I used to be." Nanashi answered quietly. "If I give up on that...then I really will stop being 'human.' My friends...Asahi...and everyone...even the family I made in Remnant...they remind me what it used to be like before I met you. Before I died." Slowly, he lifted his head, and looked at the god before him. "Dagda...believe it or not, I was grateful to you. Even though I knew I had become nothing but a pawn to you, I was happy you brought me back. Asahi was the world to me. I was fine with being your puppet, so long as I could be with her. Then I met everyone else, and that feeling grew."

Then, his eyes grew somber.

"...then, she died. And suddenly, I felt like I lost a piece of me. Even though everyone was with me, and the possibility of her coming back was there, I still felt like I had died again. When I was forced to choose between destroying the Cosmic Egg, or using it to make a new universe, I seriously considered siding with my friends."

 **"But you didn't,"** Dagda pointed out. **"And why is that?"**

The boy didn't look away. "Because of one thought...even if we defeated YHVH...freed him from humanity...what if something else came along? Something worse than Him? When I thought that...fear went through me. It felt like there was a possibility that tragedy would repeat, over and over again. That's why...I chose to create a new universe. If I could take his place, and make a new universe...then that wouldn't happen. I could make a brand new world, free from control. A world where my friends could be there...even Asahi." A sigh escaped him. "I knew what I was doing, even when I begged them to run. To stop all of this. Even back then, I felt like I was still human because of them. If they were alive in that new universe...if Asahi was there...then I could live with it. The pain of killing them."

His hand balled into a fist.

"That's why...I refuse to let things end like this," Nanashi declared. "If there's a chance I can go home, I'll take it! I'll create a new universe, one where my friends exist! One where gods have NO RIGHT to control us! And, if anyone dares to try and stop me, to try and tell me otherwise...I will cut them down."

Power burned through his being. The markings on his body, and his eyes, glowed in tandem to his resolution. And so he leveled a glare at Dagda, who remained unfazed.

"And that...includes you too, Dagda."

The Irish God said nothing as his eyes locked with those of his Godslayer. Words did not need to be exchanged, only the conveying of their will. After what seemed like eternity, Dagda let out a small smile. **"...now that's more I like it,"** he said, clearly happy with his puppet's response. **"That's the sort of thing my Godslayer should say. I suppose there was some use to having those brats around."**

"Enough with the semantics, Dagda, just hurry up and bring me back to life already," the boy said impatiently. "I have a gorilla to maim."

 **"Done with the secrecy, kid?"**

"Damn right...I'm done holding back."

* * *

"N...Nanashi..." Cris Branwen whispered in dread and despair. His own cousin...killed right before his eyes...and he couldn't do a damned thing! Some friend he was!

"I..." Jonathan hung his head low, unable to believe what had happened. He had chosen to enroll at Beacon to become strong...to become strong enough to create a peace the world could enjoy, to ensure that such a peace could last forever, yet he couldn't even save one boy. "I..."

Walter banged his fist against the earth. "D-dammit...Dammmit!"

The Beringel continued to perform it's victroy dance. It continued to roar and pound at it's chest. Soon, however, it would turn its attention to the three youths, and end them. Their Auras were low, and would be easier to kill.

However...it was unaware of the green aura that began to dance around Nanashi's corpse. His smartphone's screen lit up, revealing Dagda's face, his green eyes burning.

 **"Time to put an end to this charade,"** he said to the dead teen. **"Enough of this pathetic farce, kid...show them. Show them what it means to be a _Godslayer_!"**

At first, there was nothing. However, the markings on his hand glowed, as did the scar. His eyelids twitched. Then, they opened, revealing glowing green irises.

At last, the power that had remained hidden inside of him for ten years...the power of one who enacted deicide upon his world...was set loose.

* * *

As soon as a blast of green light seemingly erupted around the corpse of Nanashi Xiao Long, the video feed was reduced to horrible static. The two teachers couldn't understand what was going on. At first, they were shocked and horrified by what they had seen. Nanashi had been brutally pounded and crushed and beaten to death. However, not even seconds afterwards, a green light had begun to flow from his being.

"W-what was that?" Glynda asked, clearly shaken. "S-surely, he couldn't still be..."

Ozpin's eyes narrowed as he adjusted his glasses. That light was unearthly, and unnatural...and VERY familiar. He can't quite exactly put his finger on it...but one thing is for sure...the feeling from that light was completely ominous. He could feel an old wound flare up in slight pain.

"...Glynda" he said in a low tone. "Can you please contact Qrow for me? Tell him...it's urgent."

"Yes, sir." The woman nodded as she begun to dial up the number on her scroll.

Ozpin kept his attention on the screen, still covered in static. His mind raced back to before the feed was cut off. It was garbled, but he heard the words clearly.

 _'...the power of a Godslayer.'_

A Godslayer...the very name troubled him. And for good reason, as he knew only one person with such a title.

"Interesting times, indeed..."

* * *

When the green pillar of light faded, Nanashi felt his body back in working order. Bones mended back into place, cracks healed, organs repaired...it was as if the damage done to his body have never happened. However, there was one difference now...he was no longer suppressing his power.

The glow on his markings and in his eyes were proof of that. He couldn't help but stare at his hand as he flexed it, feeling the familiar power that had slaughtered countless opponents flowing through him. Soon, a toothy grin formed across his face as he leered at the Beringel, who stared back at him with utter confusion. He didn't care for the bewildered stares his partner and the two Samurai were giving him. He could deal with them later. Right now, he had a oversized ape to maim and slaughter.

"...my turn."

(Clattanoia - OxT)

Electricity danced at his fingertips. In a swift motion, he flung his hand forward, producing an arc of lightning. "Zionga!" The spear of lightning shot towards the Beringel. The power behind it was greater than any Lightning dust could ever hope to achieve, breaking through the skin. A hole was plowed straight through it's chest, and thrown off of it's feet, letting out a cry of pain. But Nanashi was not done. He slid his katana from its sheath, the black blade crackling with energy. "...Oni-Kagura!" With an incredible burst of speed, he was in front of the Beringel, and swung Kamikira.

An arc of energy tore across the air and ripped apart the ground. The attack struck the Beringel dead on in the chest, piercing through its bone armor. The trail left behind nothing but a deep gash. Black liquid spewed out from the wound while the Grimm stumbled back, letting out another cry of pain. In retaliation, it swung it's fist down on him, hoping to crush him. Nanashi instead smirked, as he leaped forward, his sword trailing behind him. Passing by the Beringel like a green blur, another gash formed on the Grimm...only it soon became apparent that it was a stump, as the arm fell to the earth, and began to dissolve. It let loose a wail, roaring and howling while Nanashi stood atop a branch, looking down on the creature with a confident smile.

To those watching it, it was incredible. They could barely comprehend any of it. How was this even possible? Nanashi was dead on the ground one moment, and the next...he was alive. Alive and kicking.

And he was utterly dominating the thing that had demolished him only seconds ago, and the thing they had so much damned trouble taking down.

It was astonishing. It was unbelievable. It was just...surreal!

"H-how...the hell...?!" Walter gaped, staring at the sight with unbelievable awe and intrigue. That strength his partner displayed...it was...incredible.

"I-I don't...what?!" Jonathan could barely believe his eyes. He had seen Walter's partner die before his eyes, and yet the man was standing...and showing off incredible power as well. Was he hiding his true talent? And the power he was displaying...what on Earth was it? It didn't look like anything he had ever seen before, and the power behind it was...incredible.

Cris was crying tears of relief, a grin across his face as he looked at Nanashi with crinkled eyes. "D-dammit man...making me cry like this..." he sobbed. "Y-you got a lot of nerve!"

Nanashi smiled at their reaction. It was going to take some explaining...but for now, he had an ape to kill. With that in mind, he sheathed his sword, and took out his firearm; a simple black gun. It's design wasn't too different from a Desert Eagle handgun, but the power it had was certainly something to behold. He was able to handle the kickback far better than most, as the gunshop owner had stated that the last time someone used the gun, they had been thrown back to the ground after firing just one bullet.

The markings on his hand glowed, and power began to gather. The Beringel roared, and slammed it's remaining fist straight at him. Nanashi simply smirked, and easily avoided it by jumping atop it's hand. The Grimm's red eyes widened, especially when he saw the light that was gathering at the muzzle, which was aimed right at him.

The last thing it would ever see was that demonic smile of the Godslayer's, and his glowing green eyes.

"...Megido."

And he pulled the trigger back. A small sphere of energy shot out of the barrel. As it grew closer to the Grimm, it seemed to shrink as if compacting itself. By the time it reached its target, all the compressed energy in the sphere exploded all at once. A massive shockwave followed it's release. Were it not for the fact that they were all using their weapons to stay to the ground, they would have been caught by the roaring wind. The Beringel's neck and shoulders were completely blown apart, the muscles and skin and bone being ripped apart the almighty power of the spell. The arms fell from their arm sockets and crashed to the ground. The rest of the body collapsed on its knees before falling forward with a heavy thud.

In seconds, it's body began to dissolve. Nanashi jumped down from atop it's corpse, cracking his neck.

"Much," he said with satisfaction. "Much better..."

"N-Nanashi!" The boy craned his head, and found Ruby and Yang with their partners, and Jaune with his group. Their faces were set with panic as the rushed towards him in a hurry. "Are you alright?! We saw this green light, and-WHOA!" The red-clad girl skidded to a stop, eyes widening at the sight of the corpse of the Beringel. "H-holy honkers that's a huge Grimm..."

Weiss stared at Nanashi in disbelief, looking to Jonathan and the others as they slowly got up, managing to get their second wind. "...Nanashi," she said slowly. "Did you...kill this thing...by yourself?"

The green-eyed boy sighed. 'This...is going to take a while.'

* * *

Several hours after Initiation had come to an end, all the students that had completed the initiation stood together on a large stage. The rest of the student body gathered in the large auditorium and looked on as Professor Ozpin stood at the front by a microphone as he addressed all in attendance regarding the new hunters' success after watching their exploits on the many large screens around them.

"Russell Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark. You four retreived the black bishop pieces. From this day forward you will be working as team CRDL. Led by, Cardin Winchester." the crowd applauded as the newly appointed team stood proud.

The headmaster turned to the next team as they stood ready. "Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrah Nykos, and Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward you will work together as team JNPR. Led by, Jaune Arc."

Jaune paled when he heard the man, "Huh?...led by?" he asked while the team congratulated him. Ozpin nodded, "Congradulations, young man." Pyrrah punched Jaune in the arm and he toppled over not expecting it.

Smiling lightly at the display, Ozpin turned to face the next batch of students. He noticed how uncomfortable poor Ruby looked, being on the center stage while also being looked at by the audience around them. "And lastly... Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward you will work together as team RWBY. Led by, Ruby Rose."

To say the girl was shocked was an understatement. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open and speechless. Yang wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders, a smile of joy and pride on her face. Blake looked indifferent, but she was happy for the girl. Weiss, meanwhile, looked shocked beyond recognition. It was clear that she had expected to be the one to be chosen leader...but that was not what she had anticipated. Ruby, however, was shocked beyond all belief. She...was made leader?

"M-Me...?" She questioned while pointing to herself. Ozpin nodded in confirmation.

Soon, the girls left the stage. Taking their place was Nanashi, Walter, Cris, and Jonathan. The four stood before Ozpin with their hands behind their backs, faces proud. Ozpin looked somewhat tense as he looked at Nanashi. The boy realized it was most likely because of what happened back the forest. Their eyes met, seemingly locked with one another. Soon, the man broke his gaze, and spoke. "Finally...Nanashi Xiao Long, Walter Ironwood, 'Cris' Nightingale Branwen, and Jonathan Arc. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. As of today, the four you will work together..."

The four boys smiled.

"...as Team NICA. Led by, Nanashi Xiao Long."

Nanashi's smile promptly faded, and blinked. "Wait, what?"

"Congrats, partner!" Walter congratulated, draping his arm over the boy's shoulder with a smirk. "Looks like we're going to be in for some awesome times here! Looking forward to working with ya, Leader~" The wild boy gave him a wink. Nanashi felt a familiar sensation wash over him, recalling how Hallelujah once called him that before as well.

Jonathan smiled, nodding. "I feel fine with the arrangement."

"Me too," Cris said. "After all, I'm more the ideas man, not the executive."

 **"Heh, looks like your back to your old spot again, kid,"** Dagda said in amusement. **"Congrats...as of today, you spend four years in this useless prison you call school."**

"You and your pessimism, Dagda..." Nanashi remarked wryly. Nevertheless, he was fine with this. It was just like old times...

* * *

-You Say God, I Say Bow Down: END-

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _"What a priss...I'd wager she could don an iron helmet, and you wouldn't notice the difference."_

 _"Ozpin made a mistake making you leader."_

 _"They are indeed the Walter and Jonathan who became apart of our flesh and blood...but they are not the ones you are familiar with, dear neighbor."_

 _"Tell me, Qrow...what can you tell me about young Nanashi?"_

 _"Asahi...I promise, I'll see you soon. You, and everyone else._

 _Next Time: Promises and School Days_

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
** Want to make this perfectly clear before you people start raising the pitch forks and cry out, "WHY ARE YOU NERFING NANASHI?! HE KILLED YHVH FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! AND THIS IS ANARCHY!NANASHI TOO!" Let me explain.

Remnant has no actual concept of magic, the closest one can get to that is Semblance. Plus, they have Grimm. The only ones with actual magic are the Four Maidens, and the only people aware of their existence shown in the series so far is Ozpin's inner circle, and Salem. Nanashi is unaware of this, of course, but he knows that people will react badly to the appearance of demons, but he can pass off magic and such as apart of his Semblance...which is a total lie, but others don't know that yet. He's playing it safe.

However...he hates dying. Literally. He's died so many times that it's natural to him by this point, and he hates it. So yeah, you kill him, and he'll be in a foul mood...worse if you kill him in an embarrassing fashion. Such as the fact that he was killed by a Grimm, WHICH ARE WEAKER THAN DEMONS.

In other words...Nanashi's death in the story is merely for comedic purposes, and how easy it is to tick him off.

He won't be dying so often in the story, but trust me when I say this, what's about to happen in Remnant is going to be INSANE. I can't say much because of story purposes and spoiler territory, but Nanashi's adventure here in this new world is going to be quite the interesting one.

Anyway...I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. See ya


	4. Chapter 4

_"Hey, Nanashi, you alright there?"_

 _..._

 _"Ah, I see. Hey, don't worry so much. We've already gone through so much, I'm pretty sure taking down the Divine Powers will be cakewalk for us. Of course, there is Lucifer and Merkabah to think about."_

 _..._

 _"...Nanashi? You mind if I ask you something?"_

 _..._

 _"...what do you think about us?"_

* * *

 **RWBY: Final Judgement**

* * *

interludium IV: Promises and School Days

After initiation had been over and done with, the newly instated teams were led to their new housings in the dorms. Glynda had taken Team RWBY, and a portly man called Professor Port had taken JNPR. Nanashi and his team (it still felt odd yet nostalgic that he was made team leader, given how things were in the past in his world) were led by a teacher with green hair and wearing a messy white shirt with a yellow tie and glasses while carrying a mug of coffee in his hand.

And Nanashi quickly learned that the man, Oobleck, REALLY loved coffee.

"This is the room you'll all be staying in!" the teacher announced in a fast tone. "First, a bit of ground rules! Baths have strict times for when male and females are to enter! And before any of you ask, no, there is no mixed bathing! Though the dorm is co-ed, it is not a place for debauchery, thank you! Secondly, you are all expected to be in bed by midnight! No later!"

"...Did any of you guys catch all of that?" Cris Branwen questioned his newly formed teammates.

"Sort of..." Walter shrugged.

Jonathan gave a curt nod. "Of course," he said. "We understand, Professor Oobleck."

"DOCTOR Oobleck!" the teacher corrected. "I did not earn a PhD for nothing, Mr. Arc!" He took a quick sip of his mug before continuing. "At any rate, you're free to spend the evening until midnight! I expect all of you in bed in two hours! And for goodness' sakes, please don't teepee the dorm rooms! We've had quite enough of that last year!"

Nanashi quirked an eyebrow. "...seriously?"

"Quite," the man nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to gather my notes for tomorrow's lesson! If you boys will excuse me!"

Before any of the boys had a chance to say anything, he zipped away, dashing past the boys and in a second was already gone from view. "...what in the hell did he put in that mug of his?" Walter questioned, his face a cross between disturbed or dumbfounded. "That can't be healthy."

"Must be a caffeine junkie or something," Cris said, putting his hands behind his head. "So, what do you guys wanna do? We've got two hours before we hit the hay."

"I suggest we unpack our belongings first." Johnathan offered, eyeing the pile of luggage in the corner. "Might as well do so now while we have time. Who knows when the next opportunity will arise when classes start."

"Good point."

Walter groaned. "Ugh, great..."

"I did tell you not to pack too much," the young man chided him softly before looking back at the luggage. "Well then, shall we?"

"Might as well." Nanashi shrugged. Without further complaint, sans from Walter, the newly formed team moved to unpack their belongings and went about organizing the room.

It was hardly any trouble, though the green-eyed Godslayer realized what Jonathan meant by Walter having too much. He had packed only a good number of clothes but several personal items, including for some reason a game system. Still, they were able to make due. Cris, as he expected, had barely any luggage due to him being here a last-minute decision by Qrow. A bit of rearranging was required to fit their preferences was needed, though it was hardly much. Jonathan and Cris were in charge of decorating, putting up a few home items on the shelf they were given by the school, filling it with tomes and, much to Nanashi's curiosity, action figures. Walter seemed a tad bit embarrassed, though he claimed that they were vintage sets, therefore able to net a good price when he decided to sell them. He didn't ask anything more while he and Walter went to placing the rest of their luggage - their clothes and whatnot, into their respective drawers.

"By the way, Nanashi," the wild-haired boy said as he finished up, tossing his shirt haphazardly into the dresser. "You...okay?"

The boy paused what he was doing, quirking an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, back at the forest," he explained, looking concerned. "That kind of semblance has gotta hurt when using it. You said it pretty much puts your body back together whenever it gets damaged, right?"

'Oh, right,' he realized. 'I forgot I made up that excuse.'

When Teams RWBY and JNPR questioned what they had just arrived to, along with the rest of his team asking what the hell just happened, he made up an excuse. His Semblance was energy-based, using what little, if any Aura he had, to accelerate the healing process to an unheard of level, and could be weaponized. He also likened it to Yang's, with him getting stronger the more damage he took...though he did tell them that he preferred not to use it, given the mechanics.

Needless to say, it was a blatant lie, but he couldn't exactly tell them that he was a corpse being kept alive by a god, now could he?

"I'm fine, for the most part," he said, shrugging. "I'm more worried about you guys. You did get your asses kicked."

Cris snickered. "Yeah," he said, grinning at him. "This coming from the guy who got hit just as bad."

"Oh, bite me."

Nanashi growled. He didn't want that particular reminder. It was bad enough remembering that he got beaten down by a giant gorilla. A major blow to his pride given his previous feats.

"I'm just glad we all made it out alright." Johnathan said, shelving the last book he had.

"Still, I have to admit...fighting against a powerful Grimm such as that brought a sense of accomplishment, don't you think?"

"Speak for yourself," Walter grunted. "I'm still sore all over." He then resumed what he was doing. "Aaand...done. Whew~"

The four took a step back to admire their work. The shelf was now fully stocked with books and novels and Walter's collection, the desk was filled with notebooks and such, courtesy of Jonathan, and the dressers full of clothes. The beds were also set a bit farther apart, and their suitcases atop the sheets. Walter also decided to give his side of the room a bit of flare, putting up posters of cheesy movies that Nanashi recognized, courtesy of Summer's bad taste in movies.

"Not bad," Walter said, folding his arms. "So...who's gonna bunk with who?"

Jonathan chuckled. "Well, I'll feel sorry for whoever bunks with you, given your snoring habits."

"Hey!"

"If you think Walter's bad," Nanashi sighed. "You should listen to how Cris snores."

"Hey!" Now it was his cousins turn to yell in indignation.

"And don't forget that were all in the same room...so all of us are gonna have to put up with each other's snoring."

"...fair point," Jonathan said before taking out a pocketwatch from his pocket. "Hm, we have half an hour before heading to bed."

"In that case," Walter brought up. "Why not head to the top?" The boys gave him a look. "I overheard from one of the students earlier before Initiation that the top of Beacon has a killer view."

Nanashi's curiosity piqued. It would be nice to see if this was legit. "In that case, let's see if JNPR or RWBY wants to come with," Jonathan suggested. "After all, the more the merrier."

"Yeah. Plus, I kinda wanna know how and why your brother managed to attend here..." Walter added.

"I agree. He never said anything about applying to Beacon to my family or I..."

Nanashi raised an eyebrow. 'He didn't tell his family?' he thought, confused. 'Weird...'

 **[Probably snuck his way in,]** Dagda gave his two cents. **[He does seem to be of the skittish variety...hey, kid. About those two...]**

'Yeah,' he replied back. 'I'm going to talk with them once we're alone. Can't risk bringing them out in the open, after all.'

* * *

Jaune was panicking.

His first day at Beacon had gone not in any way he expected. First he gets lost but meets a cute adorkable girl and her brother, gets picked on by a couple of guys because of his onesie (he felt quite offended by that. Hey, it was COMFY!), and then in the morning and come Initiation, he found himself being hurled into the air, and would have probably broken something had that red-haired girl not pinned him to a tree. He nearly got caught about faking his transcripts when he she asked why he didn't have his Aura unlocked, even though he vaguely remembered hearing about that from his older brother, but thankfully she didn't seem to think too much on it. The worst part of his day came from the fact that he found his brother and his best friend right near the end.

 _ **'I am so screwed!'**_ his chibi-Jaune cried, flailing his arms around inside his head while running around in a panic. **_'I'm a goner! Dead as a doornail! Walter and Jonny are gonna be pissed when they find out I lied my way into Beacon! Crap crap CRAAAAP!'_**

This officially became the worst day of his life. How was he going to explain to those two how he got here in the first place! One way or the other, there going to learn about his falsified transcripts and no doubt tell Ozpin, kicking him out of Beacon, and sending him back home...where he will have to face the worry and wrath of his parents and older sisters!

"Are you alright, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked him, knocking him out of his thoughts. She looked so worried for him, especially seeing his expression of panic. Dust bless him, whoever decided to make a girl worried for someone like him, he would gladly kiss their feet. "You've been tense ever since we got back."

"I'm just...nervous is all..." He scratched the back of his head. "I mean...I'm at Beacon...one of the best combat schools on Remnant."

A lie. A total lie. He wasn't even supposed to be here, though he couldn't exactly tell his new teammates that, much less his brother.

"Understandable," Ren remarked. "Anyway, we should-" He was cut off by a sharp knock at the door. "Hold on," he said, standing up. He opened the door, and much to Jaune's horror, the newly instated Team NICA stood before them. "Oh, you're...Nanashi, Walter, Jonathan, and Cris, right?"

Walter grinned. "Hey, you actually remember us," he said jovially. "Anyway, pardon us for barging in."

"We came to see how everyone was settling in," Jonathan said. Jaune squirmed as he tried to hide himself from his older brother's gaze. Seriously, the heck was this?! Jaune Hated By Fate day?! "That, and a bit of bonding between fellows. Walter learned from a few students that the top of Beacon has an excellent view."

"I see," Pyrrha said, nodding with a grateous smile. "Sorry, but I'm still in the middle of unpacking. Perhaps another time."

"And I have to take care of Nora," Ren said, stepping aside a bit to show them the hyperactive girl in question, who was currently jumping around on her bed while munching on a sugar donut. "It takes about an hour or so before she calms herself down from a sugar rush." His face fell a bit. "Trust me...you don't want to deal with her when she's on a sugar rush."

Nanashi sweat-dropped. "Reminds me of Ruby when she raided the cookie jar when we were little," he remarked. "So I think I know your pain, man."

"Thank you..." Ren nodded kindly, grateful that someone else understood a similar experience.

"So since you, Pyrrha, and Nora aren't able to join us...why not your team leader? Jaune, was it?" Cris asked as he looked at the blonde who was hiding behind his bed. Upon hearing his name, Jaune froze. God dammit, today just wasn't his day. "Is that him? Hiding behind the bed over there?" Cris pointed in his direction.

"I-I'm not hiding!" Jaune said quickly. "I'm stuffing my suitcase underneath!" Sighing, he walked around the bed, greeting them formally. "Hey guys."

"Hey, yourself," Walter said, folding his arms. "So, when were you going to tell us you applied for Beacon?"

"Indeed. I'm sure mother, father, our sisters and I would've heard the news..." Johnathan added.

This was it. This was where Jaune was going to die. He just knew it. _ **'Quick!'**_ Chibi-Jaune shouted. _**'Think of a lie!'**_

"I, er..." Jaune said, a nervous smile on his face. "Wanted it to be...a...sur...prise?"

 ** _'...WE'RE BONED!'_**

"Really now?" His brother raised a brow while maintaining a scrutinizing gaze. Walter had his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Jaune could practically feel himself sweating bullets.

 _ **'That's it! We're so dead!'**_ Chibi-Jaune weeped. _ **'It was a good life! But, wait, I haven't even gotten a girlfriend yet! I'm still a virgin! I haven't even gotten to kill my first Grimm yet! Oh, please, whatever god exists in the world, HAVE MERCY!'**_

For what seemed like hours, his brother and friend stared at him. Jaune felt his heart pounding against his chest, doing his best to remain calm. Eventually, though, their faces fell for grins. "Well, can't argue with that," Walter said, grinning. "I saw what you did out there. You been practicing your sword skills without us or something?"

 _ **'OH THANK YOU GOD!'**_

"Y-yeah!" Jaune quickly nodded. "W-well, not really...I'm still nowhere near Jonny's level, though."

Jonathan chuckled lightly, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "You did well for your first time in the field, though, Jaune," he told him, causing his eyes to lit. He was being praised...by his older brother. Someone pinch him to make sure he's not dreaming! "I have to admit, even I'm impressed. Ozpin made the right choice, making you leader."

"I agree," Pyrrha chimed in, smiling widely. Jaune's heart was beginning to soar. That smile was going to give him a heartache...in a good way. "Still, I never knew you two were siblings. I should have made the connection by last names alone."

"No kiddin'," Walter said playfully. "You'd never think they were brothers, given how different they are."

Unknown to any except Nanashi, Jaune flinched, his hands balling into fists before vanishing as quickly as it appeared. The Godslayer and the God within his phone took note of this and filed it away for another time.

"Y-yeah!" Jaune forced a laugh. We may be brothers...but our looks vary. Heck, you wouldn't be able to tell that all of our sisters were related if you saw them all together."

"True that," the wild-haired boy remarked. "Sometimes I wonder if Mrs. Arc has a reverse harem behind our backs or something. Anyway, you free, Jaune? I hear the view's spectacular."

"Sorry, but I still got stuff to do," the blonde knight apologized. "Maybe next time. Oh, and Nanashi? Tell Ruby I said congrats on being leader."

Nanashi nodded. "Sure thing."

* * *

"...is she okay?" Weiss asked, looking at the relatively still form of Ruby, who had not moved since she sat down on her new bed. "She hasn't moved since we got here."

"She's probably still in shock from what happened. I mean...I never expected for Ozpin to make her team leader..." Nanashi shrugged as he and the rest of his team stood in RWBYs dorm room.

They had arrived, only to see the new leader of the new team unmoving. If Nanashi was being frank, it...really weirded him out. He was used to Ruby zipping around everywhere, bouncing up in some manner or another. Now, though, she was completely still. **[The last time I saw her like this was when she found out that the Tooth Fairy wasn't real,]** Dagda remarked inside the phone, sweat-dropping. **[Hey, kid. Can't you, you know, do something? This is...seriously weirding me out.]**

'What's this?' Nanashi smirked. 'Dagda, the most angry god in the Tuatha De, as well as the strongest, son of Lady Danu himself, is weirded out by a fifteen year old girl?'

 **[Don't get smart with me, lad. I can still return you to being a corpse.]**

'Ah, but you won't. After all, you need a Godslayer to do your bidding, and you wouldn't risk leaving yourself out in the open and find someone else,' the boy countered, still smirking. 'After all, you invested quite a lot of time in me.'

 **[...touche, kid. Touche.]** Dagda said after a moment of silence. **[But seriously, do something about that brat, will you?]**

'Fine, fine...'

"Hey, Ruby," Nanashi called. "Crescent Rose is broken."

"WHAT?!" Just like magic, she snapped out of her stunned trance in outrage. "How did it happen?, I KNOW I did maintenance on it just the other day! Oh, wait, was it because of the fight with the Nevermore?! Well, itwasanelderGrimmbutevensoitshouldntbepossible!IknowCrescentRoselikethebackofmyhandsoIknowitwouldntbreaksoeasilybutwhy..."

She trailed off when she noticed her sister and Blake looking at her with amusement, Weiss with a quirked brow at the hairline, Nanashi giving her a deadpan look, Cris shaking his head in exasperation, and the two other members of Team NICA looking at her strangely.

"...um..." the silver-eyed girl took a step back nervously, a shaky smile on her face. "...hi?"

"...that," Walter stated. "Had to be the most weirdest way to snap someone out of it."

Jonathan nodded in agreement. "She must...be attached to her weapon."

"She's a weapons freak," Cris, Nanashi and Yang said at the same time, making Ruby wince, feeling as if an arrow had stabbed her through the heart. How cruel! Okay, maybe it was true, but did they have to say it so bluntly?! "Anyway," Nanashi continued. "You alright, Ruby?"

"Y-yeah...peachy!" Ruby grinned, shaking off the previous blows to her pride. "S-so, what are you guys doing here?"

"We came to see if you guys wanted to hang out," Cris told the girls. "Apparently, the top of Beacon has a hell of a good view. We tried to asking Jaune and his team, but they were busy."

"Hence why we came to see you girls," Walter summarized. "So, any of you interested?"

Blake shook her head. "Sorry, but I'm still unpacking," she said, gesturing to her suitcase...which, oddly, had more books than clothes, and no personal items to be found anywhere. "Maybe next time."

"And I'm gonna be taking a shower pretty soon," Yang said. The others gave her a strange look before Ruby and Nanashi informed them that when Yang takes a shower, she takes an unusually long time in order to condition her hair just right. "How about tomorrow, after school?"

"Sounds fine to me," Walter nodded before turning to Weiss. "How about you?"

The Schnee Heiress also shook her head. "I have to speak with Ms. Goodwitch about my class curriculum and such," she explained. "As well as a few other things I've been meaning to ask. Now, if you'll excuse me." With that, she took her leave, though she did give Jonathan a slight bow and told Nanashi good-bye, along with the promise of a next time. However, her attitude seemed to strike Walter a bit coldly, as he grunted.

"What a priss... I'd wager she could don an iron helmet and you wouldn't notice the difference."

"Now Walter, no need to be rude." Johnathan reprimanded.

"Hey, I just call 'Em like I see 'em, man. She's just as much of a prick as her sister...if not more."

"Well, Weiss aside," Nanashi rolled his eyes before looking at Ruby. "Ruby, you free?"

The girl nodded, grinning. "Mm!" she said, hopping off the bed. "I've got some time! Plus, I wanna see this view!"

"Alright, now we're talking~" Walter grinned. "Come on, then!"

"Yeah!" With a spring to her step, Ruby raced out the door, running past NICA.

The well-mannered boy of the team chuckled. "Well, she's quite lively," he remarked, smiling. "Well, shall we?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Ozpin's office, the man was at his desk, looking at his scroll with an unreadable expression, fingers dancing along the holographic keyboard. His mind was troubled, especially how Initiation turned out to be. The students this year were exceptionable, especially Ruby Rose, though such was to be expected. Every bit of Summer that little girl was, if not a downright carbon copy. Had he not known any better, he thought Team STRQ had returned as a team of girls - Weiss like Raven with her cold front, Yang like her father in terms of outgoing nature, and of course Blake like Qrow before he discovered the joy of alcohol, only the Faunus-in-Hiding was more uptight and reclusive.

However...the reason behind his worry was the leader of the newly formed first-year team, Nanashi Xiao Long.

He performed what should've been downright impossible. He was battered, beaten, and broken...and had somehow come back to life in a matter of seconds.

And then, of course, there was the incredible power he displayed. Power that most measurably did not belong to that of a semblance. When you have been around as long as Ozpin has, you know when someone tells a lie - in Nanashi's case, it was telling his team and friends what his Semblance was. He knew immediately the boy was lying...but why? And that power...had he not known any better, he would have thought that Nanashi bore the power of a Maiden - which was impossible, as in order to gain that power, you most certainly had to be female.

Then...there was the voice from the recording. It was hard to make out, and he had yet to find the source, but its words disturbed him deeply.

"Power of a Godslayer..."

The man repeated the words spoken with trepidation. He knew of only one individual who bore such a fearsome title...and Nanashi was not that man. Ozpin had encountered the man before, knew what he looked like, knew how he acted, and he could say with certainty that the chances of Nanashi Xiao Long being associated with that man had to be next to none. True, he had been traveling with Qrow for a few years, but Qrow had kept him informed of his actions. Every day of every week of every month, he would receive a report. In none of those reports did he ever mention encountering that man.

Just as he was thinking on the matter, his scroll let out a tune. He looked at who was calling him. "Speak of the Devil," Ozpin hummed as he answered. Appearing on the holographic screen was a familiar face - slightly aged with gruff facial hair at the chin, slicked back black hair, and wizened eyes. "I assume you received my message."

"Yeah, I did," Qrow said, his tone oddly sober. "And I saw the video you sent me...have to admit, didn't think Little Green was capable of doing that."

"So he showed no sign of being able to perform such a feat?" Ozpin inquired.

"Nope." Qrow shook his head. "Then again...it might explain his Aura deficiency, given that the powers he showed were not a semblance in any form. If anything...they resemble he abilities of that guy so much that it's scary..."

So...Qrow had reached a similar conclusion as well. "Tell me, Qrow..." Ozpin said, adjusting his glasses. "What can you tell me about young Nanashi?"

"Not much. All I really know was that Summer and and Tai adopted him when he was five years old. From what they told me, he had no family, no home, nothing to go back to. So they took him in." The common drunkard scratched the back of his head. "He also didn't know about Remnant or the Kingdoms, so I thought it was strange. Docs said it could be trauma from losing his folks...and seeing his eyes, I'm kind of inclined to agree."

"His eyes?"

Qrow was silent for a bit, his face tense, before he answered. "...his eyes were like yours, Oz."

That got the Head,aster of Beacon to fall silent. Eyes like theirs...no child should ever have eyes like that. "...I see," he said after a long period of silence. "Do you think there might be a connection to Nanashi and that man?"

"Doubt it. While their powers might be similar...something about what Nanashi showed was different than his. I'm not sure how to describe it," Qrow answered. "Speaking of that asshole, Oz, I'm starting to think I'm on a wild goosechase. Ever since Amber was attacked and got her powers stolen, I haven't heard anything about his movements. Either he's laying low for a while, or..."

"Or her assailant is advancing their plans from behind the scenes..." Ozpin finished.

"Yeah...I'm gonna keep looking," the man said. "Oh, and Oz?"

The man quirked an eyebrow.

"...just try and trust Ashi. Even if he has the same kind of power as him...that doesn't mean he's automatically an ass."

With that, the call ended. Ozpin couldn't help but smile at the man's words, even eliciting a chuckle. "I suppose I have been a bit high-strung," he remarked as he took a sip of his coffee. "Although...I believe those words should be directed more at James than myself."

* * *

When Team NICA and Ruby saw the view that Beacon sported at the very top, they were left breathless.

"You can see all of Vale from up here," Walter said, a wide smile on his face as he leaned on the wall, staring out in wonder at the horizon with eyes glittering like an excited child. "Hah, I feel like a king!"

"I agree." Johnathan nodded. "The view is quite a breathtaking sight. The lights of the city resemble the fluorescence of jewels."

Ruby nodded, her head practically bouncing up and down. "So pretty...!"

"Have to admit," Cris said in approval. "Can't beat this view."

"Yeah...beats the sights in Patch, that's for sure..."

Nanashi was inclined to agree. He sat atop the small bit of wall that kept them from falling off, looking off into the distance. 'This view,' he thought nostalgically. 'It reminds me of the one from Mikado...I wonder if Flynn saw this view when he first became a samurai.' As he thought about the ponytailed man who had earned his respect and viewed with awe and admiration, he flinched, remembering his fate at YHVH's hands. Body burnt to a crisp, nothing but a lump of charcoal shaped like a man.

Not even Satan's Samarecarm was enough to revive him. YHVH was thorough in his approach to render the revived samurai useless to him, even if it was a futile effort in the end. And then the bastard had the gall to throw him here, all the while leaving Nanash unable to make good on his promise to create a new universe. Multiple times over the years, he wished that YHVH was still alive...so he could kill him all over again and again and again until he was nothing but a bitter memory.

"Nanashi?" Ruby's voice pulled him from his thoughts, turning to see her staring at him. "You okay? You were spacing out."

"Yeah, sorry...just thinking about stuff is all."

"I hear that," Walter said, not knowing Nanashi said it as an excuse. "Still, talk about crazy. Back home in Atlas all I ever did was sit on a warf, fishing for a hobby while practicing my sword skills. Next thing I know, I'm here, training to become a Huntsman!"

Jonathan chuckled. "I have to admit, the prospect of fighting monsters that have otherwise haunted our lives is quite a bit frightening."

"Bah, listen to you," the wild-haired boy laughed. "If you ask me, its good sport!"

"I believe we have a duty as Huntsmen to protect the people, as well as the Kingdom," the avatar of Merkabah countered, still smiling peacefully while fully believing in such a thing.

Ruby's eyes lit up, nodding in agreement. "You said it, Jonathan!" she said. "We're, like, super heroes! Fighting monsters and protecting the innocent!"

"Down girl," Cris teased her, patting her on the head. "Don't get too excited. Technically, we're 'training' to become Huntsmen. We ain't there yet."

"How about you, Cris?" Walter asked curiously, turning to his teammate. "Why'd you come to Beacon?"

"Well...the thought of it never crossed my mind...you can blame my drunk of a dad for that..." Cris lamented as he dragged his hand down his face. "Basically, he just shoved me onto an airship heading to Beacon without any warning. Which is why my luggage was a bit lacking...I didn't even have time to pack!"

Except for Nanashi and Ruby, Walter and Jonathan sweatdropped.

"...seriously?

"I...have to admit," the polite boy laughed awkwardly. "That is rather, er..."

"You don't have to beat around the bush. My dad is insane. That's all there is too it..." Cris sighed.

JAs much as Nanashi and Ruby wanted to defend their honorary uncle, it was hard to do so when they knew that Cris was probably right. "How about you, Nanashi?" Jonathan inquired, turning to the team leader. "What made you decide to become a Huntsman?"

"...you guys want the long version or the short version?" He asked.

"Long version?"

"It's one doozy of a story..." Nanashi shook his head.

From there, he told his story. He had gone along with the story he came up with when he was adopted by the Rose/Xiao Long family - he had lost his parents at an early age and fled into the Emerald Forest, where he was found by Summer and Taiyang. After bringing him to the hospital, they decided to adopt him. So from that point on...he was part of their family.

Nanashi had done his best to adapt to his new surroundings, immediately bonding with Ruby, who had found someone to play with that was her age. Unfortunately, he didn't start out strongly with Yang, given how her mother left and thought that Summer and Tai were replacing her. Ruby had managed to get the two closer, and Yang finally considered him family when she found a lead on Raven, only to be greeted by Grimm. Given his past experience, and in spite of being in a young body, was able to fend them off before the timely arrival of Qrow.

From that point, their uncle took an interest in Nanashi for withholding the Grimm until he arrived. Becoming the one that trained him in combat.

Though he didn't train with a scythe like he or Ruby, Nanashi was proficient with firearms and variety of bladed weaponry - preferably a sword. He eventually made Kamikira, naming it after his own role. Though the others were unaware, Nanashi had hoped that, by becoming a Huntsman, he would discover a way to return home, given that the so-called protectors of the Kingdoms traveled across the globe. By that logic, if he obtained his license, he would be able to go out into the world, and hopefully find some sort of clue as to how to return to his own world. For now, he played his part, and claimed he wished to become a Huntsman for the sake of strength, to become stronger and protect the people he cared about. A cliche answer, but they seemed to buy it.

That was all that mattered. He had no reason to divulge in his true motives to these people.

That, and he sincerely doubted they would believe him...and on the off chance they did, and learned the truth behind his story, they would no doubt stand against him. He did not want to deal with such annoyance...along with the possibility of slaying the family and friends he made in this world. Though he tried not to, he found himself bonding to the Rose/Xiao Long family. They reminded him of the days of when he was just a simple cadet...back before that fateful encounter Adramalech.

"I see," Jonathan said after a moment, digesting this information. His face looked pained, having heard how Nanashi lost his parents...even though it was a lie made convincing enough. "That must be harsh."

"Maybe but...I got used to it...I can't even remember what my birth parents looked like..." Another truth, as he was an orphan back in his world as well before the Boss took him in. Hell, he was practically found on the steps to the Sky Tower. "Besides, it isn't all bad. I got a new family...albeit a nutty one."

"Hey!" Ruby pouted. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Well, let's see...I have a sister who's crazy about weapons, an older sister who loves her hair a tad bit too much, a dad who cracks the worse jacks and passed it down to Yang, an uncle who drinks every chance he gets, and a cousin who has a thing for furries," he listed off the quirks of his family in Remnant, all with a deadpan expression. "Am I missing anything else?"

"Dude! Don't call them furries! That racist!" Cris countered.

"How is that even racist? Isn't it the truth?"

"Even still, its insulting!"

Nanashi smirked. "...and yet you haven't denied me saying you've got a thing for 'em."

"So what? It's not like I'm hiding it!" Cris declared without any shame.

He preferred Faunus girls over human ones any day, likely because, possibly due to the troubles they faced because of racial differences and prejudice and such, 9 times out of 10 a Faunus girl was less arrogant or snotty. He could absolutely not stand women like that. So, he likes Faunus women much better than human ones. That, and depending on what animal-like features they had, they were just downright adorable! Like that bunny-eared girl he saw before Initiation started!

 _ **SOOOOOO CUUUUUUTE!**_

He wanted to scoop her up in a hug and just cuddle her. He's been wanting to see her again. Hopefully he could find her as they pass through Campus. Unbeknownst to Cris...his fantasies regarding the bunny-eared student were leaking out.

"...Cris," Nanashi deadpanned. "For Dust's sake, keep your fantasies to yourself. We can practically see your thought bubble."

"What?!" His cousin snapped out of his fantasy, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. They really heard all of that?! Walter gave him a slight grin while Jonathan and Ruby had faint blushes on their cheeks. "...YOU GUYS NEVER SPEAK OF THIS AGAIN!" Cris shouted.

Everyoned laughed at this response, much to his chagrin. Nanashi couldn't help but smile. Really, if he didn't know any better, they-

 _"C'mon, its not funny!"_

 _"Oh, it totally was! You practically flashed that poor demon!"_

 _"Not on purpose!"_

 _"I don't know, Asahi...kind of looked like it."_

 _"W-what?! You too, Nozomi?!"_

 _"...so, she's into demons them."_

 _"Shut it, you!"_

 ** _"Good grief...they're a rowdy bunch as ever."_**

 _"Who are you calling rowdy, Slimer?"_

 ** _"WHA-?! HOW DARE YOU!"_**

Suddenly, rather than his Team and adopted sister, he found himself back at an Association bar, and in front of him, his old companions, all bantering and laughing together. Asahi, cheeks red over an accident while fighting a group of demons and getting teased over it. Nozomi, ever the faithful older sister-like figure, teasing her over it alongside Hallelujah. Off to the side, Toki and Gaston sharing soft drinks, watching the event with smiles on their faces. Floating around and bickering with Nozomi was Navarre, still only seen by everyone except Asahi.

A memory from a happier time...one before he chose the path of a Godslayer...one where Asahi was still alive...

This was the first time in a long time since he visited these memories once more...

Asahi...she still looked so happy. So full of life. She was alive. Safe. With everyone.

This would be the scene that should have played out when he created a new universe. A world without gods to interfere, without demons to torment them, without angels to dictate them...instead, he was cast out into a world, unable to do even that. He became a monster for the sake of creating a new world, even forced to kill his friends...and what was his reward? To be cast out? Unable to do even that for them? Without seeing Asahi, one last time?

In a way, YHVH had achieved something before he died...he gave Nanashi a curse. The curse to never see his friends again.

"Nanashi?"

The boy blinked, realizing that he had once again fallen into his own thoughts. Ruby was in front of him, face worried as she held out a hand, touching his cheek. As she pulled her hand away, he saw something glistening on her finger, which stroked his face earlier. "E-eh?" He touched his face, and felt something wet.

Were these...tears?

Hah...hahahahaha...

Even after everything that happened...he was still capable of crying?

His teammates and sister looked at him with looks of concern. "You doing alright, man?" Walter asked him.

"What's wrong...?" Ruby questioned, completely worried by his sudden change in behavior.

Nanashi didn't answer her. He was too stunned and shocked by what his body was doing. To think that he would be crying, after all of this time...

...how pathetic.

"I-I'm sorry," he choked, wiping away his tears. "I was just...remembering something. Something...unpleasant."

"Must have been something bad then," his partner remarked. "It's almost time for bed, anyway. Shall we head back?"

Nanashi shook his head. "No, I...I'll stay here a bit longer. I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Are you sure? I mean, we can stay and-"

"I'm sure, Ruby." Nanashi cut her off quickly. "I just...need a moment to myself...I promise I'll catch up later..."

"...If...you say so cuz..." Cris shrugged.

Ruby still looked unconvinced, and would have argued further, but Cris had shaken his head. Looking awfully depressed, she drooped her head, and followed the rest of Team NICA out the door, leading back to their dorm rooms. As soon as they left, Dagda emerged from the phone. "Honestly didn't think you had any genuine human emotion left, Kid." The Celtic deity mused as he stared at his God Slayer.

"I'm just as surprised as you are, Dagda..." Nanashi replied, wiping the still spilling tears from his eyes. "To be honest, I thought I didn't have any tears left. I thought I used them all up after what happened back at the Cosmic Egg...it's pathetic, really."

"Indeed it is..." Dagda shook his head. "You were supposed to have shed all of your remaining humanity back then...yet here you are...showing remnants of what you once had..."

"Would that not be a good thing, Lord Dagda?" Suddenly, another figure materialized. It was a young man, barely any older than twenty or so, with dark bronze skin and light gray eyes, bearing dark blue hair with a dark green hat bearing a golden feather, plus a jacket of the same color with a light red dress shirt and dark brown shorts. He seemed to be sitting atop what appeared to be a large snake made of writhing lava, which had dark petals around its neck, and a black open maw inside what appeared to be its mouth. "After all, one who is to become the new Brahman must have some humanity, as to not be the same as YHVH."

"Krishna..."

The Leader of the Tuatha De stated. No matter how many times this happens...he still couldn't believe that the Leader of the Divine Powers, and their enemy, is now a Demon loyal to Nanashi. Then again...he could say the same for many other Demons that his God Slayer has defeated. Of course, it was yet another of the many mysteries behind the Cathedral of Shadows. A demon, once defeated, could be resurrected via fusion. It still amazed the god of knowledge immensely that such a thing was possible. Perhaps one day he would have a talk with Mido about future applications of such a method.

"Bahagavaan Kalki," the former deity bowed his head, tipping his head. "Lord Dagda."

Nanashi hopped off the wall, crossing his arms. "So, how did things go?"

"Unfortunately, our inquiries bore little fruit," Deity Krishna answered sadly, a small frown on his face. "Shesha and I have done our best to investigate this world, in hopes of finding a way to return to the universe governed by the Axiom. Sadly, there was hardly any feasible information...except for two things that may interest you." Dagda and Nanashi leaned froward, interested. "Apparently, Remnant has a belief in the idea of history and myth, some of which appears to be actual truth. The first is the Maidens - four women blessed with the power of the elements, and the second are apparently items that were meant to embody the gifts given to humans; creation, destruction, choice and knowledge. According to the legends we've investigated, Remnant and humanity and Faunus were created by twin gods, and these four relics contain the gifts they gave to humanity."

Dagda's eyes narrowed. "So...Remnant is ruled by gods?"

"Was," the Hindu God corrected. "They abandoned Remnant long ago...or so the legends say. It is a stretch, but perhaps the relics have a way of returning us to the Axiom."

"I see..." Dagda hummed in thought. He was amused by this fact. Creator gods abandoning their own creations? A far cry from YHVH, that's for sure. Still...those artifacts intrigued him, especially what they represented. Creation, destruction, choice, and knowledge...the most prevalent aspects that define humanity as a race. If these artifacts do exist...then maybe there is a way. "So...if we were to gather these artifacts...then we may be able to find a way home?"

"That is my hypothesis," Krishna stated. "However, we still lack full details from our investigations. So we are uncertain."

Nanashi still looked elated. "At least we have a possible lead," he said. "Keep looking into things, Krishna."

"Of course," Krishna smiled widely, bowing his head once more. "As my Bhagavaan demands. Oh, and one other thing...it seems that Headmaster, Ozpin I believe his name was, has been investigating you." Nanashi's eyes widened in surprise, whereas Dagda's narrowed. "He appeared to have noticed a lack of any records of a "Nanashi" ever existing on Remnant past ten years ago."

"I see...old geezer is sharp," Dagda remarked in distaste. "Looks like we're going to have to be more careful from now on, kid. Best not to use your power when he's watching."

The Godslayer sighed in annoyance. As if he didn't have enough problems. Regardless, with that, Krishna vanished, returning to his task. Now there was another matter to handle. Raising his smartphone, he called for two demons. "Lucifer. Merkhabah."

In response, two demons emerged in full glory.

To his left was a winged being, Holy in nature, yet demonic in appearance. Its humanoid body was covered in white feathers save for its torso, which hair a pair of breasts and golden nipples exposed. Its complexion was a ceramic white, hands clasped together as if in prayer. One of the most striking features was that it had four faces. It had two appendages on either side of it, one with a hand to his right, another to its left. One on its head, one on its lower abdomen, one hanging off of a golden appendage on its left side, and one on the end of its feathered tail, which had a serpentine head. Its first face had an expressionless visage, with piercing teal eyes. Its second face had its eyes and mouth close as if in repent. Its third face had glowing eyes and a blue orb in its open mouth, as if preaching. Its fourth face had its tongue sticking out and eyes closed. On its head were strange, feathered appendages resembling wings, floating crystals in the form of a crown above its head. Strapped to its back were two silver weapons, a sword and a spear.

This was God's Chariot, Merkabah.

To Nanashi's right was another Demon, seated atop a throne with red velvet cushions, edged in gold, and had a mural depicting the sun as a back rest. The figure was tall and lanky, garbed in a golden body suit with ornate edging, open at the chest. On its feet were knee length boots of a similar make. Its complexion was dark, an ashen gray. It hands were large, its fingers long with the nails sharp. Its left arm, however, was deformed, with an enormous, bulging forearm wrapped up in golden chains. Its head was bald, its lips curled in a grin. Its red eyes glowed as if they were flames.

This was the Demon Lord, Lucifer.

Both were demons who were once mere fragments before merging with their respective hosts, regaining their true power...but in truth, even then they were pieces. Halves, more accurately, to the Original Angel known as Satan. Their data had been saved in the Cathedral of Shadows after their defeat, and thus were forged anew there. The Demon Lord was fascinated by Nanashi, seeing his desire to abandon the old world in favor of a new universe, one where no god, angel or demon could interfere with the lives of men. As a being who rebelled against god for the sake of promoting strength and potential, he saw merit to this goal and agreed to stand by him. Merkabah, on the other hand, sided with Nanashi for another reason. Forged before the fated moment when Nanashi was to choose between eliminating the old world order or to destroy the Cosmic Egg. It had remained silent, but otherwise obeyed order. However, upon seeing Nanashi's disarray after the massacre of his former comrades, heart hurting, she had been the first of his demons to comfort him, offering him solace. She stood at his side because, though a puppet of Dagda he may be, a Godslayer who would end YHVH, she still saw human life in him. As god's chariot, who was meant to lead humanity to a better future, it believed that it was to bring Nanashi peace, even it meant it would have to defeat its former master.

They were, by far, the most powerful demons he had at his side, matched only by the likes of Mephistopheles and Cleopatra.

"Its been a while since you called for us, neighbor," Lucifer greeted jovially. "I must admit, it was becoming rather boorish in that tiny storage space." The Demon Lord then examined the world around him, curious. "So, this is the world YHVH has accosted us to...how lamentable."

"Indeed..." Merkabah agreed. "The very air reeks with despair, rage, sorrow...just about every sin in existence."

Dagda scoffed. "Well, you're not wrong," he said. "Anyway, the kid and I have a question for the two of you."

"Regarding Walter and Jonathan, yes?" Lucifer inquired. Though he and Merkabah were not present for the meeting, they were still capable of observing the outside world through the smartphone. "Quite the sight, seeing our former hosts alive."

"Indeed...it is a curious sight, and brings hope regarding the Godslayer's theory of being able to return to our home dimension."

"And how is that possible?" Nanashi asked, frowning. "Walter and Jonathan should have died when I defeated you both."

Strangely, Lucifer shook his head. "I'm afraid that is not the case," he said. "They are indeed the Jonathan and Walter who became apart of our flesh and blood...but they are not the ones you are familiar with, dear neighbor."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"How familiar are you with the concept of parallel worlds?"

Nanashi paused briefly. He was actually somewhat aware, recalling his experience in the Diamond Realm, encountering the "Messiahs" from other worlds - including an alternate version of Flynn. "Somewhat, if only because of the Diamond Realm," he answered before he realized what they were getting at. "Wait...are you saying...they're the Walter and Jonathan from another world?"

"Correct," Merkabah answered pleasantly. "However, as to which world they hail, we cannot say. We can, however, sense a portion of our powers inside of them, meaning that they had sacrificed their lives to give us corporeal form. It seems our powers are the source of their Semblances as well."

"Is that so..." Dagda inquired. So like the Walter and Johnathan from his world, this Walter and Johnathan sacrificed themselves to become Lucifer and Merkabah respectively. And to think that there would be remnants of their powers within their existing bodies...

"Things just keep getting more interesting, don't they?"

* * *

After discussing more about the possibility of returning home, Nanashi returned to his dorm room to find his team already asleep. Jonathan was on his side, peacefully snoozing away with his head lopsided. Walter, meanwhile, slept like a sloth, as he had one leg hanging off the side of the bed and his pillow in his hand, mouth wide open and snoring somewhat loudly, his blanket only covering up a leg. Cris, meanwhile, was less noisy, and was wrapped up like a cocoon, vaguely resembling a ball with drool flooding down the side of his lips. "These guys," Nanashi rolled his eyes, reaching his bed. He unzipped his jacket and tossed it towards his desk, and setting his smartphone down as well. He then clamored into bed, hopping unto the sheets and lying down, staring up at the ceiling with hands behind his head.

'To think, its been ten years since I came here...' he thought sorrowfully. 'And yet I'm nowhere close to finding a way back home.'

In the past decade since he's been on Remnant, he's been searching for any lead that will bring him back to his own world...but had no such luck. Even when he was exploring the world with Qrow, he found nothing. The idea of this relics possibly being what would get him home interested him, and hoped that Krishna found a way soon. For the time, being, however, he was sick of waiting...and his remembrance of his friends had made him remember that horrible day. 'Now that I think about it...this ceiling is just like the one back when I was with Asahi and Boss,' he thought, smiling in nostalgia. 'Haha...all its missing is that graffiti mark me and Asahi doodled years back. Boss got so mad at us...'

A moment of silence passed.

"...I miss you, Asahi..."

He whispered in longing, his gaze shifting to the pair of goggles on his nightstand...the very same goggles that Asashi used to wear. 'Asahi,' he swore in his mind, determined to return home, no matter what. 'I promise, I'll see you again. You, and everyone else...'

Unbeknownst to Nanashi at the time, Dagda saw everything from within the confines of the smartphone.

'If one loses their humanity, they'd be no better than demons, huh?' the god thought, recalling something his mother once said before that woman Nozomi was made Queen. 'Hmph...I suppose that thought has a bit of merit, mother.'

He then receded to the depths of the phone, deciding to get some sleep as well. Nanashi then followed. He knew that they day that would follow would be interesting...

* * *

"Monsters! Deeeemons... Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Ha-ha!"

...on second thought, maybe not. The green eyed youth spoke too soon upon entering Professor Port's class.

The man had immediately began regalling the class with tales of his youth rather than the actual name of the class: "Grimm Studies." Immediately, he found himself fighting the hardest battle of his life, surpassing that of YHVH...trying to stay the hell awake. Even his own team was close to clocking out, though somehow Jonathan appeared to be the only one showing some slight interest, pencil jotting down notes in his book, though even they could tell he was about to fall asleep.

 **[...what in the name of the Tuatha De am I listening to?** ] Dagda gawked. **[I thought we were supposed to be listening to the lecture of a teacher, not a damned bard!]**

Nanashi mentally agreed with him. Right now...Dagda was onto something about schools being prisons. This seems to be the equivalent of torture...being forced to endure boring lectures and expected to stay awake. "Gods, does he like the sound of his own voice or what?" Walter yawned, propping his chin on his hand, which leaned on the desk. "I'm about ready to fall asleep any second here. Oi, Cris, you..." He trailed off when he looked at the young Branwen, only to found him with his head resting on his arms, eyes closed and drool falling from his mouth. "...well, that was fast."

He knew that the lecture was boring, but to think he would conk out within the first few minutes. He wasn't sure to be impressed or not.

"And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy!" Port continued, momentarily giving a glare at Ruby, who he had caught napping. Nanashi was honestly ready to fall asleep himself. "Now, as I was saying: Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world! Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses..."

He paused, giving a wink at Yang, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"

At that point...Nanashi was tuning out whatever the professor was saying, his thoughts drifting back to what Krishna had told him last night.

'Creation, Destruction, Knowledge and Choice,' he recalled what these relics embodied: the gifts given to humanity by the gods. 'In a way, its similar to the power of Observation. According to Krishna, these relics allow one to change the world however they see fit...if we can somehow find these relics, they just might get us home. Question is...where would they be?'

He doubted that they would simply be lying around. If these relics are truly that powerful...then they must be safeguarded somewhere. Question is where? Based on these stories, there are four artifacts...four maidens...and four kingdoms...it can't just be coincidence. There must be a pattern there...

'Could it be...?'

"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

"I DO, SIR!"

Nanashi snapped out of his thoughts as Weiss' voice cut through the room. He saw her face, irritated and utterly annoyed, as if something had set her off. He gave a quick look around the room, and found that everyone was just about ready to give up. To his amusement, Jonathan had somehow fallen asleep, his head lowered and yet somehow still holding onto his pen. Walter was just about ready to give up, as his eyelids were continuously rising and falling, mostly the latter. "What's happening?" he asked.

"Dunno," the host of Lucifer answered, still a bit drowsy. He had barely paid any attention at all, since Port was talking more about himself than anything else. "Just something about proving yourself or whatever..." He yawned stiffly, covering his hand. "Wake me up when its over, will ya?"

Without waiting for a response, Walter conked out on the desk. Nanashi sighed and looked ahead as Weiss left the room to change into her combat gear.

 **Seems she's in a rather sour mood,]** Dagda mused. **[Seems like she saw that idiotic brat of a sister of yours goofing off. Heh, must be infuriating for a spoiled child to be passed over by a child two years younger than her.]**

"Ain't that the truth..." Nanashi commented. Something like that would deal a blow to anyone's pride.

Then again, he had wished Weiss had grown out of that phase. She should have known by now that, simply being here at Beacon, did not mean her status as Heiress would mean anything. As of now, she was the same as the rest of them: a mere student.

...well, not all of them. They could never hope to match him. Not unless they went through the same hell he has.

Eventually, Weiss returned, now clad in her white battle skirt, and her rapier at the ready.

"All righty then..." Professor Port announced. "Miss Schnee, are you ready?"

"Yes." The heiress nodded as she raised her rapier.

Port grinned, liking her enthusiasm before he pulled off the large axe from his wall, moving over to the thrashing cage. Nanashi's eyes narrowed. His suspicions about what was inside were soon proven when he slammed his axe down, severing the link keeping the cage closed. No sooner did the chains fall to the ground in a broken heap did a Grimm suddenly emerge, moving so fast that Weiss was forced to move, dodging it and letting it smack into the wall. When it stopped, it revealed itself to be a Boartusk, with white bony plates along its backside, the familiar white mask, and two large tusks protruding from the corners of its mouth.

'I thought you couldn't capture Grimm?' the Godslayer thought in confusion. From what he read, any and all attempts to keep a Grimm in captivity had all ended in failure, as they would dissolve into black smoke. 'Oh well, I suppose I can ask later.'

Team RWBY offered their member encouragement, with Yang pumping her fist excitedly. Blake waved around a small flag that had her team name written on it, making him question where she got it while Ruby was giving her words of encouragement...only to get a scowl and a cold response in the process. [ **Feh, saw that one coming,]** the god of knowledge remarked with disinterest. **[Then again, could be fun, watching a spoiled little princess fall.]**

As much as the green eyes teen wouldn't admit it, he agreed. Maybe this will be the wake up call Weiss needed.

Regardless, his friend prepared herself for combat as the Boartusk shook itself, shrugging off its earlier blunder and then turned to face her, letting out a whine, tapping its hooves against the floor. It then jumped and curled up into a ball, spinning rapidly like a wheel before charging straight at her. Acting swiftly, she held Myrtenaster in front of her, defending herself against the attack. Sparks flew dangerously close to her face, finding herself being backed away. Realizing that she would soon give in, she shrugged the Boartusk's charge at her, falling into a roll to avoid it. She swiftly got back to her feet as the Boartusk spun around, stopping its advance and letting out a snort. "Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby shouted at her. She ignored her, and chose to charge straight at the Grimm. She intended to skewer it straight between the eyes, though at that moment the pig-like Grimm turned its head, trapping her rapier between its tusk. 'Tch!'

"Oho, a bold new approach!" Port commented. "I like it!"

However, it was the opposite of what Weiss was thinking. She lacked the arm strength to wrench her weapon free. The Grimm then jerked its head, causing her and her weapon to tumble to the ground a few meters away, the latter in a clatter and out of reach.

"Oho~ Now what will you do without your weapon?"

Weiss huffed, getting up to see the Boartusk charging at her again. Cursing, she moved out of the way, letting it crash into a desk. The student owning it cried, leaping back behind his chair, using it as a means of defense. Weiss then swiftly got up and grabbed her weapon, readying herself for round two. "Weiss!" Ruby shouted. "It doesn't have any armor under its belly! Go for the belly!"

"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss shouted back, causing Ruby to recoil.

Nanashi sighed, face-palming. " _Baka_..." he muttered, momentarily switching to his native language. "She's just trying to help."

 **[I'm surprised the brat is even still alive.]**

"I know..." Nanashi agreed.

Given Weiss' quick temper and sanctioned fighting style, it's amazing how a Grimm hasn't killed her yet. While she received training from instructors...she had no experience in the field. Yes, she may have accumulated some in her conflict during Initiation...but otherwise lacks further experience. Ruby, who was apparently the object of her ire, had what she lacked due to often venturing into the Deep Woods in Patch, where Summer's grave lay in silence. Beowolves were common there, and she often hunted them, protecting the grave from unwanted pests. That was the difference between them.

Returning to the fight, he Boarbatusk leaped into the air and rolled into a ball, spinning rapidly in the air and landing on the ground, consistently gaining speed until it launched itself at Weiss. It came closer and closer until Weiss activated one of her gylphs, blocking the roll. Following this, she leaped up into glyph above her and turning it blue again, proceeding to dive down straight towards the fallen Boartusk, its belly exposed. It didn't even have the chance to get back up, as the blade impaled itself deep into its unprotected stomach. The Grimm let out a dying cry before it ceased. Moments later, its body began to break apart into smoke, leaving the heiress to sigh in relief, wiping a small collected path of sweat from her forehead.

"Bravo!" Port shouted, clapping his hands. "Wonderful work, Miss Schnee! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!" He paused a bit before a wide grin formed on his face. "However, what can we say about a Huntsman? Hm?" The students realized what he was going for, and several males raised their hands. Nanashi rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested. Perhaps he would be able to take a nap or something to avoid this. Unfortunately, before he could follow his team's actions earlier, Port pointed to him. "How about you, Mr. Xiao Long?! Care to test your mettle?"

Nanashi cursed. 'God dammit.'

 **[Heh...]** Dagda chuckled at the irony of it all. **[Looks like he's called you out, kid.]**

'Shut up...' He mentally groaned.

Though he didn't want to, he wouldn't want his team or friends pestering him. With that in mind, he left his seat and walked down to the front of the room, exiting to go grab his weapons. Eventually, he returned. He earned a few stares, wondering why he had not changed into his usual outfit. Nanashi didn't see the point. He felt just fine in this monkey suit. As Professor Port prepared to release the next Grimm, he checked his firearm, The Peacemaker, and then withdrew Kamikira from its sheathe, giving it a swing.

 **[Try not to die too bad, kid.]**

 _'I'll try not to. Getting killed by an oversized ape was humiliating enough. Whatever comes out of that cage, I'm going to show no mercy.'_

 **[Attaboy...]**

"Are you ready, Mr. Xiao Long?" Professor Port questioned.

"Yes."

"Then let us begin!" With a hefty swing, the teacher's axe broke off the lock of the cage.

Just like before, whatever was inside came rushing out the moment the cage was unlocked. It lunged out, hoping to otherwise rip Nanashi limb from limb, though its only reward for the action was a roundhouse kick to the jaw, sending it flying back towards the cage with enough force to topple it back, crashing straight into Port's desk. The wood of the desk splintered from the combined weight of the cage and the Grimm, and many students gazed in awe at the sheer strength Nanashi's kick had. Port, on his part, whistled while the Grimm got up, revealing itself to be a Beowolf. However, compared to the ones Nanashi fought previously, this one had pure white fur and yellow eyes, compared to the black fur and red eyes. It also had thicker white plating, some spikes emerging from its back. Its claws were much longer and sharper.

Nanashi recognized it from one of Qrow's tales. An albino Grimm. Considered to be a rare, more powerful variation of the Creatures of the Grimm, they were stronger and much faster than your run of the mill monsters. To this day, there have been only a small accounts of Huntsmen ever encountering an Albino Grimm before. It seemed that Port had not been exaggerating in most of his tales. Which begged the question of how he managed to get an Albino Grimm in the first place?! But he was cut out from his thoughts as the white beast lunged at him with its claws outstretched. Nanashi jumped to the side and aimed Peacemaker at its flank. He pulled the trigger, and the bullet impacted the creature's side, digging into its flesh.

A decent-sized hole was made in its ribs, but that didn't deter it. The white-furred wolf skidded, claws scratching at the floor before it stood on its heels, letting out a bloodcurdling howl that demanded his flesh and charged at him. Nanashi rolled underneath its swing, turning to fire three rounds into its back.

Two bullets ricocheted off of its spines, cracking them, but one made its way between the gaps and tore a hole through it. The Beowolf howled in pain and swung its long arm, smacking into Nanashi. The green eyed teen fell and tumbled from the impact before rolling to a stop. Seeing that its prey was down, the Grimm crouched down low, slowly stalking towards it. Nanashi tried to get up, shaking off the dizziness from being struck.

 _'Well, that hurt,'_ he remarked before the Albino Grimm launched itself at him once again. Readying Kamikira, he waited until the right moment - when the Grimm was inches away from him, before swinging the black sword. The pitch black blade cut straight into its side, ripping straight through tendons and bones before he dashed out of the attack, swiveling around to face the creature's back. Black smoke rose out from the wound while the Grimm turned, yellow eyes narrowed in anger, snarling.

"What?" he mocked, tapping the blade on his shoulder. "That it? C'mere doggie...let's teach you a few tricks."

The Beast roared in outrage before rushing toward the student, ignoring the pain of its wounded side.

The Albino Grimm once more charged, this time standing on its back legs to try and swipe his face off. Nanashi leaned back, avoiding one swipe of the claw before tilting his upper body to the right, avoiding the second swipe. He then ducked underneath the third one, and delivered a headbutt to its jaw, causing it to stagger back. He then took aim with Peacemaker, and fired off three more shots. Al three bullets made their mark and tore through its chest cavity, leaving gaping wounds. Decent-sized holes were made, revealing black sinews of muscle and bone that poured out black smoke. The Albino Grimm growled in anger and moved to counter him, only to find the Godslayer's foot in its face. With a push, he knocked it back. He then opened the chamber to Peacemaker, allowing the bullets to fall to the ground before pulling out a new set of rounds, these ones with black tips.

Ruby noticed this, and grimaced. "Oh boy," she whimpered. "I feel sorry for that Grimm right now."

"Why?" Blake asked, frowning. "What's so special about those rounds?"

The white-furred Beowolf pushed itself up, but once again found Nanashi's foot keeping it pinned to the ground, closing the chamber after reloading, and then took aim, proceeding to pull the trigger.

Then Ruby answered, "They're Gravity-Dust rounds."

The first bullet fired, impacting the Beowolf in the face and forcing its head so deep into the floor that a crater formed beneath it. Nanshi repeated the process, simultaneously shooting the Grimm and pounding it further into the ground. The floor beneath the Albino Grimm was beginning to dent, and by now, the Beowolf's head was starting to deform and break from the repeated shots. Nanashi didn't stop. He wouldn't stop until his opponent was dead. With an emotionless expression, he repeatedly pulled the trigger until it ran out of bullets. Then he holstered Peacemaker and raised Kamikira.

"...bye bye~"

The blade came down faster than what the others could see. The next second, the Beowolf was sliced completely in two. Soon, it's body began to break down into black smoke, rising into the air. With his opponent dead, Nanashi slipped Kamikira back into its sheath, and holstered his Peacemaker.

He then turned to face the Professor, who was grinning elatedly. "So...how was that?"

"...WONDERFUL!" Port boomed, clapping his hands. "Absolutely spectacular! If I didn't any better, I'd say Taiyang just came into the room! Excellent work, Mr. Xiao Long! Now that is the sort of power a Huntsman should possess!"

 **[You're wrong about that, teach,]** Dagda scoffed. **[This is the power capable of ending Gods, not these mooks you people call demons.]**

'Yeah...but no one here knows that.' Nanashi replied. He then spoke to Port and nodded, "Thank you, Professor." He then turned on his heel, not noticing the looks of awe from his classmates.

'Besides, this is nothing,' the former Hunter cadet thought, looking back at the smashed up floor where the Grimm's body was decaying. 'If it were the Demi-fiend...there'd probably be nothing left of the school.'

 **[I hear ya kid.]** The Irish God agreed. **[I doubt any of the meat sacs here would be capable of surviving something like that.]**

It was a fact. In the Diamond Realm, Nanashi saw firsthand how powerful the Demi-fiend was...and to say that if any Grimm in this world no matter how powerful were to try and engage him...calling it a one-sided massacre would be putting it gently. From what he learned, the Demi-fiend willingly cast aside whatever little humanity he had left and joined with Lucifer willingly to put to an end the cycle of reincarnation and destruction, effectively killing "time." Like Nanashi, he was forced to take the lives of those he considered friend, yet though he was a demon, body and soul, he weeped for them, believing that they had lost their lives because of YHVH and "Kagutsuchi." It was thanks to that powerful man that Nanashi learned an important lesson.

If one has power, they must be ready to sacrifice everything...even their own bonds.

And he experienced that lesson first hand within the Cosmic Egg...even now, he could still feel the blood of his friends on his hands...

Without realizing it, his hands were trembling, which did not go unnoticed by Ruby, who watched him as he left.

The silver eyed girl eyed him in concern. What was going on with him? First it was him crying last night for no reason other than a memory he refused to share, and now this. She really wished she could help him, but she had no idea what was causing his pain. Eventually, class came to an end. As everyone poured out, she realized she had one other problem to deal with.

Weiss.

As they left, she caught sight of the heiress, walking away brusquely with her heels clashing against the floor in almost a stomp. "Weiss!" she called, chasing after her. "Weiss, wait!" Eventually, the heiress stopped walking and stood still, her back facing Ruby. "What was that back there? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Weiss said, a scowl forming on her face as she turned towards Ruby, glaring. "What's wrong is YOU! You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a nuisance!"

"Wh-what...?" Ruby questioned with a slight whimper.

"You're immature, inexperienced, and too young to even be here!" Weiss continued. "You've done nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so!"

Ruby, hurt, cowered. "Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all the talk about 'working together'? I thought you believed in acting as a team."

"I do...but not on a team led by you." The words were cold, enough to make Ruby look away. "Ozpin made a mistake making you leader."

With that, she left, leaving Ruby to sulk. Unknown to either girls, Nanashi had been watching the whole thing. He gave a tired sigh, and dragged a hand down his face. "Dear god, its high school drama," he muttered. He decided to chase after Weiss, if only to try and get her to recognize Ruby and straighten her out. "Remind me again, why did I agree to come to this school?"

 **[Because you wanted to keep an eye on your sister, and wanted to get a Huntsmens license to travel the world and look for a way back to our world.]** Dagda reminded.

"It was rhetorical, Dagda."

 **[I know. Just wanted to troll you.]**

Nanashi stopped, looking at his phone. "...you know what? We are definitely finding a way back home. I think Remnant's turning you into a senile old god."

* * *

It took a bit of work, but Nanashi eventually found Weiss on the balcony up on the second floor of Beacon, leaning against the railing while she looked at the orange-tinted sky. "...you know," he called behind her, making her turn. "You are a hard woman to find."

"Nanashi...what are you doing here?" She asked.

"I was looking for you...we need to talk."

The girl was silent for a moment, but then she sighed, hanging her head. "...I screwed up, didn't I?"

"Big time," he answered bluntly, taking a spot a next to her. "But at least you somewhat understand that. Next time, though, at least tell Ruby about her problems in a more subtle manner instead of lashing out at her. She was only trying to help you in that fight and encourage you, not criticize you. This isn't the Schnee Manor, Weiss." His eyes softened, remembering a few of his visits to the large mansion owned and ruled by that white-haired bastard who had made Weiss' life hell. "You don't have to deal with Jacques or the pressure."

"I know, I know...but...I'm still a Schnee. Even without being back in Atlas...I still have a legacy to uphold."

"Doesn't mean that title holds weight," Nanashi reasoned. "Here at Beacon, you're not Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Corporation. You're Weiss Schnee, student and Huntress-in-training."

"Yeah...but I wasn't lying when I said that Ruby was too young. I just don't understand why he chose her as team leader."

"Well, it's because she has the most experience in the field out of the four of you. Back in Patch, our forests were infested with Grimm, so she was able to learn how to fight in the real world rather than a sanctioned setting." He explained. "And while you had training, your opponents were pretty much instructors and people who knew how you fought, and you vice versa. You only fought one Grimm, whereas Ruby and I have been hunting them ever since we started to learn under Qrow."

Nanashi paused for a moment before he continued.

"And there's another reason. Ruby was chosen because she's young." Weiss quirked an eyebrow, skeptical of his claim. "In case you haven't noticed, Ruby isn't the most social of people. She would rather hang out with someone's weapon rather than their owners. And while she may be inexperienced, she has a team to back her up. By bonding with her team, she'll be able to accomplish so much more than on her own. But, let's say her team won't be there for her...she'll have one person at her side."

"Who?"

"You," he answered, causing her to blink. "You're her partner, Weiss. Its your responsability to make sure that Ruby doesn't fail or doubt herself. True, you weren't made leader...but what you can do is make sure Ruby is the best damn leader you can make her be." He gave her a small taunting smirk. "Or, perhaps, that's too much for a Schnee."

His words had the intended effect. Her cheeks tinted red, and her eyes narrowed, puffing her face as she crossed her arms. "Oh, please!" she scoffed. "I'll be able to do that, and more! Just watch!"

"Of that, I have no doubt," he answered before grinning at her. "After all, it's you we're talking about, Weiss."

With that, he turned to re-enter the building, letting how words sink in. However, before he could, Weiss called out. "...Nanashi," He turned, and to his surprise, found a surprising sight: a flustered heiress, looking at the ground shyly. "Just...call me by that nickname."

'She actually remembers that?' he wondered, astounded before smiling teasingly. "I thought you said you didn't want me to call you by that name?"

"S-shut up!" Weiss snapped cutely. "Just...just say it. Like old times."

 _'Such a tsundere,'_ Nanashi remarked in his head before smiling. "Fine...Wei-chan."

If it were possible, Weiss' face burned more red than Ruby's own hoodie. **[Definitely a Tsundere,]** Dagda agreed.

Weiss shook her head, but then smiled. "...thanks, Nanashi," she said. "I'll talk with Ruby when I get back."

"Alright," he said. "Just don't wait too long."

"I won't," she promised before she blushed again. Her body fidgeted, as if she was making a debate before she moved closer to him. Then, she surprised him by planting a soft, chaste kiss on his cheek. "L-later!" she cried, bolting off.

Nanashi blinked, his hand gently touching the place where Weiss had kissed him, and stared at her retreating form, dumbfounded.

"...Dagda," he said slowly. "What...just happened?"

With no one around, the Irish Deity manifested next to him, his skeletal face twisted into an amused grin. "Hehehe...looks like you stole her heart, kid."

"...again, I ask. What?"

"Oh, come on, kid...you're practically in your twenties, and you still don't realize when a woman holds affection for you?" Dagda rolled his eyes, but had a strange glint in his eyes. "Normally, I'd tell you to cut off such a useless bond...but then again, we could always use a goddess for when we find a way back to our universe."

Nanashi frowned. "I thought I told you," he said, crossing his arms. "I don't need a goddess, Dagda."

"You say that...yet you wanted to have Asahi to be your Goddess when the mess with YHVH was over with...didn't you?" The Celtic Deity questioned back.

His response was silence.

"...that's what I thought." Nanashi silence was more than enough for an answer to Dagda.

The god then returned to the phone. Nanashi scowled, his knuckles turning white. 'Damn meddling god.'

* * *

When Weiss returned, she found that her team had already gone to bed for the day. Yang and Blake were already asleep, but to her pleasant surprise, Ruby was doing her homework. Judging by the drowsiness in her face, though, she could tell the poor girl was about to fall asleep.

Taking a deep breath, she made her way over to her partner's bed and climbed the step ladder next to it. "Hey."

"Wah!" Ruby cried, now suddenly wide awake. Noticing Weiss next to her, she clamored. "W-Weiss?! S-sorry, I was doing homework, a-and I guess I fell asleep, and-!"

"How do you take your coffee?"

"Uh, huh?" Ruby asked in confusion. Why was she asking her that?

"I said how do you take your coffee?" She repeated a little louder.

"Uh, c-cream and five sugars!"

The girl gave a small sigh. Of course she would... "Don't move," she told her as she ducked into her bed. Minutes later, she returned, holding a steaming cup of coffee. "Here."

"Th-thanks..." she gently blew on the steaming liquid to cool it off before taking a sip.

Weiss smiled widely before she remembered her actions towards Ruby earlier in the day. Sighing apologetically, she looked at Ruby directly in the eye. "Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader," Ruby's eyes widened, surprised to hear this before a wide smile formed on her face. "Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have!" The two partners then smiled together.

Friendship restored.

"Good luck studying!" The heiress ducked back underneath her bed. Just as Ruby was about to return to studying, Weiss popped up again, pointing to one of her problems. "That's wrong, by the way." She then went back down. Ruby looked over her bed, finding her partner at the door. She paused when she wrapped her hand around the doorknob, turning to her friend and smiling. "Hey, Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"...don't tell Nanashi this, but I've always wanted bunk beds as a kid."

* * *

-Promises and School Days: END-

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _"I'm tired of being the adorkable guy who gets stuck in a tree while being compared to his older brother who's always better than him!"_

 _"I feel like...I might have made things worse for Jaune."_

 _"You're gonna pay for that, brat!"_

 _"So he's a liar...what else is new? Everyone lies for one reason or another. Its simply a question of how far one lies to achieve what they need."_

 _"If Jaune wants to be a Huntsman, let him do things his own way. We can't keep holding his hand, Jonathan."_

 _Next Time: To Become a Hero_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** Sweet merciful crap, I'm still alive and working on this thing?! I'll be damned! Still, I'm really sorry you guys for taking so long! Good news is, I'm finally graduated from high school so I've got some more free time to myself! ...which is more or less me admitting that all I do now that I'm on summer break is play on my laptop all day while playing games on the side while getting chubby. Man I gotta work out.

Jokes aside, just wanted to let you know two things.

1) This story IS NOT DEAD! UPDATES ARE JUST SLOW AS FUCK!

2) THIS IS NOT WEISS x NANASHI! Seriously, I still haven't decided on an official pairing for the guy yet! The only pairings I can confirm for you guys is Blake x Sun and Jaune x Pyrrha...and maybe Yang x Walter. That last one is an interesting idea, no?

Welp, that's it. See you guys next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

_"Oh... Hey, Leader."_

 _..._

 _"What? No, I'm... Okay, well, I'm not fine. You know how I told you my dad disappeared and my mom raised me all by herself, right? And how that I'm half-demon? It's not exactly something I'm comfortable telling people about."_

 _..._

 _"Heh. Yeah, I know. I shouldn't acting so mopey. After all, I got you guys, don't I? You know, now that I think about it, our whole group's like one giant big joke. A guy who got resurrected by a demon, a ghost, a Fairy queen, a half-demon, a Ring of Gaea assassin and a jackass Samurai."_

 _..._

 _"Hey, Leader? Can I ask you something?"_

 _..._

 _"If you ever had to choose between coming back as a human being or staying as you are, what would you do?"_

* * *

 _ **RWBY: Final Judgement**_

* * *

interludium V: To Become a Hero

Growing up in Atlas, Walter realized from a young age that simply being smart didn't automatically make you strong. Born as the son of one of the most influential and most powerful figures in the whole Kingdom, he had been exposed to a lot of things.

Cliche as it was, General James Ironwood had never been around much in his life. It was mostly up to his wife to look after the boy, who had spent much of his early childhood learning how to fish. It was a good past time, if one could learn how to get past the ugliness and horror factor that were fish in general. Walter didn't hate his father for being absent for most of his life. He understood he had an important job and all that.

But, there had been a few things that caused tension between the two of them.

When he was thirteen, Walter decided it was time to strike out on his own. He left Atlas and traveled around the four Kingdoms. Along the way, he ran into one of the few people he'd come to consider a friend. That being Jonathan Arc, and not long after, his family.

They were great people. They were nice and caring, and had this warm, family-like feeling that Walter hadn't truly experienced before. It was comforting. And suffice to say, he was surprised that Johnathan had so many siblings. It was unfamiliar to him, being an only-child and all.

Still, after getting to know him, the Arc family practically thought of him as one of their own.

Jonathan and him had hit it off, albeit the two of them were total opposites. Jonathan was bound by duty and honor, wanting to become a Huntsman so he could protect others. Like Yang, Walter wanted to become a Huntsman for the sake of adventure, and to prove that he was more than capable of being out on his own, if just to spit in his father's face.

He didn't want to be part of the military like his father. He wanted to be free and pursue his own path. His stay with the Arcs had been a fairly good one, though he eventually had to take his leave. He did grow a bond with the two males of the family, Jonathan and Jaune. The latter had, on more than one occasion, expressed his desire to become a Huntsman. Unfortunately, compared to Jonathan, his skills were hardly warrior material.

And obviously, it remained true to the present as Walter watched Jaune get his ass handed to him by some cocky asshole with a mace. "Ooh..." Chris winced as the mace smacked up against Jaune's breastplate, sending him flying and hitting the floor with a harsh smack. "That's gotta hurt."

"Why didn't he simply block and parry it? He has a shield, so why doesn't he use it?" Weiss questioned.

Nanashi shrugged. "Beats me. All I know is, unless he gets his act together, Cardin's going to-"

The mace struck Jaune in the jaw, making his Aura take a substantial hit. He staggered back and clutched his jaw before he rushed in with a yell, swinging his sword right at the oversized grunt. He was met with the mace and forced into a deadlock. "This is the part where you lose." Cardin Winchester smirked.

Jaune gritted his teeth, trying to push back. "Over my dead-gah!"

While Jaune talked, Cardin rammed his fist into his stomach, which was unprotected by his armor. The blonde choked, allowing Cardin to pull his mace free and smash it overhead, driving him into the ground,

Jaune's vision was blurred. He could only barely make out Cardin's shape as he stood over him, about to bring down the mace on him before the buzzer went off. "That's the match." Glynda Goodwitch stepped onto the stage. "Mr. Arc's Aura is in the red. If this were an official tournament duel-style match, he would be disqualified." She then turned her gaze to Cardin, who put his mace on his shoulder, looking particularly dissatisfied with the results. He scoffed and turned his back to the woman and Jaune, making his way off the stage, leaving the teacher to look at the other student. "Jaune, it has been weeks since you enrolled here. Please remember to check your Scroll to determine how much Aura you have left. It can allow one to know the difference between fight or flight. We wouldn't want you to be eaten by a Beowolf, now would we?"

"Yes, Ms Goodwitch..."

"Good." She then turned to address the class. "Remember, everyone. The Vytal Festival is only a few months away! It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing! Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale!"

Johnathan nodded resolutely. To be able to fight in the Vytal tournament was an honor. Walter let out a grin, excited by the prospect of fighting students from rival schools. Team RWBY shared his sentiments, with Yang pounding her fists together and Ruby pumping her fists and wriggling in her seat. Blake looked somewhat enticed by the idea while Weiss nodded in the same manner as Jonathan. Chris let out an eager grin, wanting the Vytal Festival to get here already.

Nanashi, however, thought little of it. He had seen the Vytal Festival from two years ago, and he was hardly impressed. Sure, the people he saw in action were skilled in their own right, but they wouldn't last two minutes against the monsters he fought on a daily basis from his world, much less against himself.

No...if he truly went all out, they would all be massacred pieces of flesh beneath his boot.

The Demons were never merciful, a lesson he learned the hard way when they killed Nikari and Manabu. Even he had fell to Demons, surviving only through Dagda's contract. Since then, he would never show mercy to his foes. he would definitely negotiate with Demons to have them join him, but he would never submit.

It also made him wonder, why would these people even bother with a glorified fighting tournament to celebrate the resolution of a global-scale war under the notion of peace?

If anything, it was a waste of time and effort when they could be fighting against their true enemies: The Grimm.

...oh well. It's not his problem.

As far as he was concerned, he needed to fight a way back home as soon as possible.

Then again... He was going to have to find some way to break the news to his family. Being raised under their care for so long, he couldn't help but forge an attachment towards them. One of the last few human emotions he was still capable of expressing. It wasn't going to boil over well, but he figured it was necessary. It would be a dick move to leave them behind otherwise without saying anything.

It was a bridge he would have to cross one of these days. For now, he'd just continue to play the part of the school boy. Even if it was annoying.

* * *

"So there we were, in the middle of the night...!"

"It was day."

"We were surrounded by Ursai..."

"They were Beowolves."

"Dozens of them!"

"There were two."

"But they were no match! In the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!"

Ruby, Walter and Yang certainly looked amused by Nora's tale, while Weiss and Jonathan were simply being polite, the former trying at the very least to look interested. Pyrrha was giggling into her hand while Chris rolled his eyes. Ren sighed deeply as his face fell in his hands. "She's been having this dream for over a month now."

"As interesting as that sounds, you do realize that when you kill a Grimm, they dissipate afterwards, right?" Walter asked Nora. "On the other hand, if it is possible, I'd say you found a hell of a way to get yourself on the market. The fur on those things do look pretty soft."

"I know, right?!" Nora cheered. "Why do you think we made a boatload of Lien?! If we could skin Ursas (wait is it Ursae?) anyway, if we could do that, we'd be rich! Rich I'd tell ya!"

Oct 25Jonathan sighed. "Walter, please." he said flatly. "Don't encourage her."

"Please don't." Ren agreed.

The only person who hadn't been involved in the conversation was Jaune, who had been idly picking at his food. Nanashi noticed this and tilted his head. "What's up with you?" he asked, startling him. "You still bummed about getting your ass kicked by Cardin?"

"Ouch. Way to rub salt in the wound, Nanashi..." Jaune winced. Then again, he had to agree with the kid. He did get beaten pretty badly out there. "And it isn't that. I'm just..."

"Frustrated?" Nora asked. "Constipated? Pent up?"

"Pent up? What?"

"Nora!" Ren cried. The girl giggled and stuck her tongue out as she knocked her head.

Jaune raised an eyebrow, but he didn't ask anything more. "I'm fine. Really." he insisted. "I-" A series of laughter erupted behind the group. The source was Team CRDL, who were gathered around a young Faunus girl with long rabbit ears. They all prevented her from escaping, clearly mocking her for whatever reason. All the while, the girl herself was desperately looking for an opportunity to escape.

Chris frowned heavily, clearly displeased by what he saw. "You know, I really do want to deck him." he said. "Seriously, what is this guy's problem?"

"Who knows?" Walter snorted. "He probably just enjoys being a douche." He was about to go back to his food before he looked more closely. "Wait a second... I think I recognize her. Isn't that Velvet Scarlatina, from Team CFVY?"

"Wait, seriously?" Weiss asked in utter bafflement. "She's a second year! Not to mention one of the best Huntresses-in-training in Beacon. Why is she letting Cardin bully her?"

"I bet ten Lien that girl with the shades is gonna see this and clock his lights out." Walter said. "Anyway, back to our favorite blonde Arc over here..."

"Seriously, I'm fine!" Jaune whined. "Look, Cardin bullies everyone! Name one time he's focused on me specifically!"

Walter gave him this 'Are you serious' look. Nanashi just stared at Jaune flatly. "Let's see, he knocked your books out of your arms that one time two weeks ago, activated your shield and left you stuck in the doorway, and my personal favorite, he locked you inside a locker and sent you flying out into the Emerald Forest. Do you want me to go on?"

"I'm surprised Jonathan hasn't kicked Cardin's ass yet." Yang remarked. "You do seem pretty protective of your little bro."

Jonathan chuckled. "I can say the same with you about Ruby. The moment you saw Cardin trying to pick on her when school started, you practically put the fear of God in him."

"Hey, it was either me or Nanashi." the brawler said with a grin. "And believe it or not, Ashi is worse~ This one time in Signal..."

Nanashi groaned and shook his head. "Can we please not talk about that?"

"Oh no~ You're not getting out of this one. So anyway, back in Signal, there was this one bully who used to pick on Ruby..."

"OW! Hey, that hurts!"

Yang was cut off again, this time by a pained cry. Turning back to CRDL, they immediately bristled with anger as they saw Sky Larke tugging at Velvet's ears, causing the girl a great deal of discomfort. "Atrocious!" Pyrrha hissed. "I can't stand people like him!"

"She's not the only one." Blake said in equal measure, eyes narrowed. Nanashi glanced at her and saw how she her fingers twitched, showing that she looked ready to leap in and protect her.

Chris beat her to it. "I'll be right back." he said, voice oddly even as he approached Team CRDL. They didn't seem to notice him, but everyone else had and watched with baited breath, wondering what he would do. Chris walked up to Sky and proceeded to grab him by the ear and pull, causing him to yelp and let go of Velvet's ears. "Would you idiots knock that off?"

"H-hey!" Sky protested. "What gives?!"

"Beat it, Branwen." Cardin scowled. "This has nothing to do with you."

"And I disagree." Chris replied. "You see, there are two things I hate more than anything. The first are idiots who think they're better than everyone else. And the second thing I hate are idiots who pick on cute girls."

Velvet squeaked, cheeks turning red.

"So you plan on defending this freak?"

"She's not a freak. If anything, the only freaks I see are you idiots." the resident ladies man of Team NICA said with a scoff. "I mean, really? Picking on a second-year student? Who just so happens to be able to kick your ass? Me thinks you got a death wish."

"You're the one asking for a death wish if you don't fuck off!" Cardin sneered down at him. "Besides, what could some bunny do to us?"

"You must be mistaken. I was never talking about the bunny..." Cris smirked as the leader of Velvet's team approached. "You might wanna turn around right about now."

Cardin raised an eyebrow and scoffed. He wasn't about to fall for it. Then he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned around and-

 _*WHAM!*_

Something struck his face at full force, sending him flying. He landed right on top of the table, smashing it beneath his weight. Startled, the rest of Team CRDL whirled around, about to fight but stopped when they saw all of Team CFVY in attendance.

"Excuse me, assholes..." Coco Adel, a girl wearing a fashionable set of sunglasses and a barret, growled as she glared daggers at the boys. "What the fuck do you think your doing to my teammate?"

The other two males of team CFVY step forward, the larger teen cracked his knuckles. Team CRDL gulped. They looked back at Cardin, who was picking himself up from off the floor, then at Velvet, who had taken refuge behind Chris, and finally at the students around them, who were all glaring at them and practically daring them to pick a fight with a team far stronger than them.

Dove made the smart move and pulled the group back. "S-screw this!" he said as he took his teammates and fled, grabbing a dazed Cardin as they fled.

Practically everyone was cheering at the sight. Jaune, despite his own cowardice and inability to intervene like what Chris had done, felt some satisfaction in watching Cardin being humiliated.

 **[Had to admit. It was a bit satisfying, watching that.]** Dagda remarked. **[Still a bit sickening. Why must people rely on each other, just to overcome such a stupid task? The girl was clearly capable of handling herself, so why act so meek and suffer the abuse? Staying quiet and enduring does nothing.]**

Nanashi silently agreed. Just taking the abuse didn't mean it would stop. Cardin would feel emboldened, and who knew what would happen if he decided to step it up a notch?

Meanwhile, Coco looked at Chris approvingly. "Thanks for looking after Velvet." she said with the tiniest smile. "Nightingale Branwen, right?"

"Oh god, please!" Chris said with mock horror. "Call me Chris! I really do question what dad was thinking when he called me that."

Seriously, who the hell names their son _that_?! Their son! Nightengale sounds more like a feminine name! "Chris? Why's that? Wouldn't your nickname be Night? A shortened version of your name?" The large student questioned.

"Because Night sounds lame. Chris is just easy and simple." he insisted. He then looked at Velvet and flashed a disarming smile. "You alright there?"

"Y-yes, um... T-thank you." Velvet bowed her head shyly. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."

"Trouble for little ol' me? Oh, hardly." Chris rolled his eyes. "If anything, I'd say you can give trouble to those idiots. Speaking of which, why didn't you fight back? You could've mopped the floor with them, easy."

"I-I didn't want to...if I did, it would've made things worse."

"Well, not doing anything to defend yourself is only going to goad them to keep going. They would never stop their actions if you don't resist. You need to stand up for yourself and stop that crap from happening." he said bluntly. "Besides... You can't just stand there and tell me the prick doesn't deserve a good beat down."

"He's got a point, Vel." Coco said as she put a hand to her hip. "You gotta learn how to be assertive with men."

In response, the girl gave her a flat stare. "Like how assertive you are with clothes you consider tacky?"

"Okay, not that assertive, but you know what I mean."

Chris chuckled as he scratched his cheek. "Welp, I'll be getting out of your hair. Just give Cardin a good thwack for me if you see him again." He turned around, but stopped briefly and looked over his shoulder, giving Velvet a wink. "See you latter, little rabbit."

Velvet squeaked again, face burning. The resident males of Team CFVY bristled while Coco stared at his retreating backside. "Damn..." she said lowly before she turned to Velvet. "I like him."

"C-Coco!" Velvet squeaked in embarrassment. No one ever flirted with her like that before...

Chris, unaware of the conversation, returned to the table with a satisfied expression. Seeing the looks on everyone's faces, he tilted his head. "What?"

"Dude? That was a pretty ballsy move back there." Walter commented with a grin. "Standing up to that prick, and then flirting with Velvet when her team's standing right there in front of you?"

Jonathan sighed. "I see you know nothing of the word, subtly."

"Meh. When you have a dad like mine, you learn that being subtle can be a waste of time. Better to just be blunt about things and get it over with."

Nanashi gave his cousin a flat stare. "That may be true...but you do remember who Qrow is, right? You know, drunk off his ass, hits the bar like its some kind of daily ritual, loves to flirt on a daily basis? And may or may not have a crush on Weiss' older sister?"

Said girl choked. "Wait, w-what?!"

"Nah. More like unresolved sexual tension. They want each other, _bad_."

"Now, wait just a second-!"

Weiss attempts to bring the conversation back to what Nanashi said were ultimately in vain and the lunch period went by without further affair. Of course, no one noticed the depressed aura that hung around Jaune like a dark cloud as he sighed, lamenting once more than he was nowhere near as courageous as Chris had been. why couldn't he just stand up to Cardin? Why couldn't he be more like Jonathan?

The line of thought made him scowl and hang his head low. The only person who seemed to notice was Walter, who frowned in concern, but said nothing.

* * *

After lunch period, classes once again resumed. Team RWBY and half of Team NICA, Walter and Jonathan, were all sitting at their desks while their teacher, Professor/Doctor Oobleck sped around the classroom like some kind of speed demon, drinking from his thermos.

"What the hell does he put in that coffee?" Walter whispered to Jonathan. "I mean, seriously! Not even the good shit dad drinks does that to him! Is-is it some kind of creamer? The coffee brand in general?"

"I'm not even sure there exists a creamer that can add caffeine into a drink. It think it's just pure coffee."

"Must be some sort of experimental super coffee then. I mean, he's zooming around the room almost as fast as Nanashi's sis when she uses her semblance!"

Speaking of Ruby, the poor girl was having trouble keeping track of the man as he darted from one side of the room to the next. It also didn't help the man spoke so rapidly that "motor mouth" would be an understatement. Seated next to her, Weiss was trying her best to keep up with writing down notes. But the teacher was just too fast for her.

"Yes, yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution, more popularly known as the Faunus War-" Oobleck said darting over to the map behind his desk as he smacked it with his pointer, all the while taking a drink from his coffee mug. "-humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing Faunus population in Menagerie." He dashed again, this time in front of his desk and going for another swig. "Now! While this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events! Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!" Once again, the man was on the move, confusing his students further. Strangely, Pyrrha and Blake were more than capable of following him and even jotting down notes. "Now! Have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?"

Velvet, who was also a member of the class, shyly raised her hand.

"Dreadful, simply dreadful! Remember, students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence!" Oobleck shook his head. "I mean, I mean, I mean just look at what happened to White Fang! Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorize to be the turning point in the third year of the War?"

Jonathan raised a hand. "The battle at Fort Castle, sir." he answered curtly. "General Lagune attempted to stage a nightly assault against the Faunus soldiers who were stationed at Fort Castle. It ultimately led to failure, however."

"Indeed, it did! Now then, can anyone tell me why this assault failed?" At this moment, Cardin decided to torment Jaune again by flicking a small paper wad at the back of his head, snapping him out of his sleep. His head fell out of his hand and banged against the desk. Muttering a soft 'ow', he looked up and recoiled when he found Oobleck standing in front of his desk. "Ah! Jaune Arc! Finally paying attention in class, are we? Very good! Excellent! Now then, tell me, what advantage did the Faunus have against General Lagune's forces?"

"A-Advantage? W-Well, well it was..." Jaune panicked. He did not know the answer. His eyes darted frantically, hoping to find something. Then he saw Pyrrha across from him, holding her hands above her eyes like binoculars.

 _'Binoculars? Really? I don't think that was it...what am I gonna do?!'_ Before he could despair further, Walter, who sat a row above her, tapped his eyelids and pointed to an open eye. _'E-eyes? Well...better than nothing...'_

"It was...Eyes?" Jaune answered half-confidently.

Oobleck stared at him for a moment before he zipped back over to his desk and took a swig of his drink. "Not quite the answer I was looking for, but you are correct anyone care to elaborate on the answer?"

"Right here!" Walter called. "All Faunus have night vision, due to their animalistic traits. Lagune thought he could sneak up on them while they were asleep." The wild-haired teen cracked a grin. "Unfortunately, the poor bastard didn't know they could see in the dark. Not to mention they knew the area far better than he did. His men were all wiped out in under half an hour."

"That is absolutely correct, Mr. Ironwood!" Oobleck announced. "Because Lagune underestimated the enemy, the Battle of Fort Castle resulted in the victory for the Faunus."

Jaune breathed a heavy sigh of relief, mentally reminding himself to thank Walter for the hint. He glanced behind him and winced, noting how Cardin was fuming. _**'Seriously, what the hell did I ever do to you?!'**_ Chibi-Jaune cried in outrage. _**'I get it, you're a bully, but for Dust's sake!'**_

He really needed to avoid Cardin now, since the guy was pissed. Once class was over, he was going to book it as fast as possible.

* * *

Sadly, Jaune had not been fast enough. He had only reached the door when Cardin rudely shoved him away and threw him to the floor, not even looking his way. Luckily, he had enough practice with his Aura so he didn't actually feel the fall, much less get hurt. Pyrrha had helped him up, all the while shooting Cardin a death glare.

"I really will break his legs..." she seethed, taking a page from Nora's book.

Jonathan sighed deeply. "At this point, I don't think even violence will help. We're training to become guardians of humanity, and here he is, acting like a stereotypical high school bully." He shook his head, then turned his attention to Jaune. "Jaune, are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." Jaune said lamely. "Just wish Cardin would get off my back."

"Well, I know his type of person. He won't get off your back unless you stand up to him and make him stop." Nanashi commented as he approached them. "Trust me. I've seen plenty of those guys back in Signal."

Jaune bit his lip. He understood that much at least, but how was he supposed to stand up to Cardin? What could he actually do? He barely knew how to swing his sword around. Hell, he didn't even know how to fight. He wasn't even supposed to be here at Beacon. Pyrrha seemed to notice his bitterness and anxiety. Her eyes softened as her mind began to work overtime. Soon, a solution came to her mind. "Jonathan, would you mind if I borrowed Jaune for a moment?" she asked the elder Arc brther, confusing them both.

"I don't see why not, but whatever for?"

Walter leaned in towards Nanashi, grinning. "Bet ya it's a confession." he whispered.

"No bet. It's a pretty obvious thing." The young teen shook his head. "Still...your brother seriously needs to grow a backbone, Johnathan. He can't let Cardin walk over him like that forever."

"That is..."

"Ah, enough about that. Why don't we go sneak and see how this goes?" Jonathan balked, staring at Walter with large eyes. "Oh, come on, Jonathan! You can't tell me you aren't the least bit interested and seeing whether or not your little brother finally scores himself a girlfriend!"

"B-but that is an invasion of privacy!" Jonathan protested, his cheeks red. Sadly for him, Walter's suggestion now left quite the impression on his mind. Truth be told, he had hoped that one day, Jaune would find a girl that would suit him, and take care of him when he couldn't. "B-besides, I hardly doubt Pyrrha is interested in Jaune like that."

"Maybe, maybe not." Walter smirked. "How 'bout it, leader? Feel up for some spying?"

Nanashi shook his head. "I'll pass." he told his partner. "I need to finish up the assignments. That being said, I do ask for details. Barring whether or not Pyrrha decides to, ah, go beyond just a confession."

"NANASHI!" Jonathan's face turned atomic red. Walter barked with laughter in response.

The wild-haired boy then dragged a reluctant Jonathan along. Nanashi watched them leave with some interest, but ultimately shrugged. Whether or not things played out like he expected wasn't his concern. As he turned around to leave, however, Dagda spoke up. **[Hey, kid. You seen Odin around lately?]**

"Odin?" he questioned. "I haven't brought him out in a while. Well, not since YHVH tossed us here. Why? Something up?"

 **[I can't sense his presence anywhere.]** the demon informed his Godslayer, surprising him. **[I checked with Krishna, but he has no idea where the bastard is, either.]**

"That's weird... Did he summon himself for whatever reason?"

 **[Maybe. Why is anyone's guess. It's a bit troublesome to have a rogue running around, so I'll have Krishna and his snake keep an ear out. Last thing we need is unnecessary trouble.]**

"Amen to that, Dagda."

* * *

Once Nanashi was done with homework, he had gone to use the shower. In the meantime, Chris was on his Scroll, fiddling around with it before it suddenly rang. "Hm? Oh, it's dad." he muttered in small surprise. He probably had a little bit of free time or wasn't anywhere close to a bar. One or the other. Since he had little else to do, he answered the call and put the Scroll to his ear. "Yo, old man. How's it going? Any girl with a skirt slapped you six ways from Sunday yet?"

 _[Ha, ha. Very funny, ya little shit.]_ Qrow Branwen laughed dryly. _[I decide to call my darling little gift from my loins, and this is the greeting I get? You're killin' me here, Chris.]_

"As if you'd have it any other way." he replied wittily. "Anyway, what's up? Finally have some time to yourself now that Ozpin isn't running you ragged with missions?"

 _[Eh, kind of. In a bit of a slump, and needed some encouragement. And unfortunately, my Semblance is keeping me from some good company tonight, so I decided to call my kid. By the way, I hear Green is your Team Leader. Tell the brat I said congrats.]_

Chris rolled his eyes. "You can tell him yourself." he told his father. "And while we're on the subject of family, why did you send me to Beacon of all places?!"

 _[Well-]_

"Dad, so help me god, if you tell you brought me here just for some 'family bonding' with my cousins, I will break your jaw the next time I see you."

 _[Okay look, it wasn't anything simple like that. I felt it was high time you needed some formal education, so I sent you to one of the best academies around. It doesn't hurt that you have family there as well.]_

"You and I both know that's a load of crap. What's the real reason?"

Qrow went silent. For a moment, Chris wondered if the man had an actual reason for doing what he did. Then he heard his old man sigh. _[...it's complicated, not to mention a long ass story. You know how Ozpin asked me to find some people, right? Well... Turns out these idiots might be a little more dangerous than I thought they might be.]_

"So, you feared for my safety and dropped me off here?"

[ _Could be worse.]_ Qrow snickered. _[I could have left you with your Aunt.]_

"Don't you even dare!" Chris snapped back, causing his dad to laugh. "That's not funny! Those bandits would eat me alive!"

 _[Then quit your bitching and enjoy your youth. Anyway, I gotta go. Duty calls and all that. Tell your cousins their cool uncle says hey.]_

"Whatever, old man." the teen replied before the call ended. Nanashi then emerged from the bathroom, having apparently gone to take a shower around the time he picked up the call. "That was fast."

"I don't like taking too long." he confessed. "Was that Qrow? What'd he say? Got turned down or slapped again?"

"Well, since he just told me that he said he was in a slump and needed encouragement, I'm guessing both. Oh yeah, he said 'hey'." Chris shrugged as he pocketed his phone. "Where's Walter and Jonathan?"

"Went to spy on Jaune and Pyrrha. They think she's finally going to confess."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "A little early for that... Then again, she does seem to be the aggressive type."

"Seemed so. But personally, I think she's just trying to help him out."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you see him during combat class? He was completely awful. His stance was weak, his guard was open, his attacks were wide and sloppy, need I go on?" Nanashi quirked a brow.

Chris shook his head. Honestly, he just dozed off when he saw Jaune getting his butt whupped out there and took his time elsewhere. "Still wonder why Ozpin chose to make him leader. Eh, then again, maybe it's for the same reason he picked Ruby as leader for RWBY." The door then opened to reveal Jonathan and Walter. Despite Nanashi's initial assumptions that they would be disappointed in what they most likely would have seen, or perhaps amused, one looked crestfallen and the other sullen. "What's wrong? You two look bummed all to hell. Did something happen?"

"You..." Walter ran a hand through his hair. "Could say that."

"What happened?" Chris leaned forward. "Something go wrong between Jaune and Pyrrha?"

"Actually..." Jonathan bit his lip, looking at the ground. "I think it is more my fault than anything." Seeing the confused looks on the two, he sighed. "You see..."

* * *

 _(Twenty minutes earlier...)_

"Uh, Pyrrha? I know I'm going through a rough time, but I'm not THAT depressed..." The two overheard Jaune as they hid behind the wall.

"N-n-no!" Realizing what Jaune was implying and panicking that he might follow through wit it, she pushed him away. Much to the two's amusement, she shoved him to the floor. "That's not why I brought you up here!" She helped Jaune back to his feet and sighed. "Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class and that you're still not the strongest of fighters, so... I want to help you!"

"Wh-what?" Jaune blinked. She was offering help? Well, that was nice of her, he supposed.

"We can train up here after class where no one can bother us!" the Spartan girl said. "Though, if you'd like, I can invite Jonathan here as well. Two heads are better than one."

Walter groaned. "Oh, dammit, Pyr. You should have just made it a you and him thing!" he hissed.

Jonathan gave him a glare. "Shush, they'll hear you!"

Unknown to either of them, though, a dark look flashed on Jaune's face. "I... I don't think that's necessary, Pyrrha." he said. "And I'm fine, really."

"Everybody needs a little push from time to time." Pyrrha insisted, not seeing the problem. "And nothing pushes harder than family, right? Besides, simply because you're lacking doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon! Just like Jonathan. That speaks volumes of what you're capable of!"

"You're wrong." _'I'm nothing like my brother.'_ a small part of him whispered bitterly. "I... I didn't make it into Beacon, Pyrrha."

"Wh-what?" Pyrrha asked in confusion. The other two were the same. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...I mean I didn't get accepted! I snuck into Beacon!" Walter choked and Jonathan felt his eyes widen in shock. Pyrrha stared at him in much the same manner, stunned and left frozen in her spot. "I faked my transcripts. I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests. I didn't earn my spot at this Academy! I lied my way here..." Jaune stared at the ground, hands balled into fists. "All my life, I wanted to be like my family. Like my grandfather. Like Jonathan. But I was never good enough." He gritted his teeth, fingernails digging into his palms. "Even now, I'm still not good enough..."

"Then let me help you!" Pyrrha insisted. "At the very least, ask Jonathan for-"

Jaune shook his head. "I don't want help! And not from Jonathan!" The curly-haired teen recoiled, as if struck. "Do you have any idea how hard it is, being compared to the one person you want to be like and no matter what you do, you're always ten steps behind?!"

"J-Jaune, I-"

"I'm tired of being the adorkable guy who gets stuck in a tree while being compared to his older brother who's always better than him! I'm tired of being the butt-end of a joke while my friends are out there, fighting for their lives! I want to be a hero! If I can't do that on my own, then..." Jaune threw his hands up in the air. "What good am I?"

No one had an answer. No one could tell him an answer. Johnathan stared at the ground. Did...did Jaune feel this way all this time? That he was constantly in his shadow?

Why didn't he notice? Why didn't he help him? What kind of brother was he-?

Walter snapped him out of his stupor. "Hey. Don't think like that." he told him. He then looked back and found Pyrrha, with a downcast expression walking away, after she failed to convince Jaune. The blonde himself was just standing there, face mixed with bitter regret and self-loathing. "Come on... Let's go before he notices us. I don't think he's in any mood for company right now. Especially ours."

* * *

Both Nanashi and Chris were surprised by this revelation. "Wait, so your brother snuck into Beacon by faking his transcripts? That was a pretty ballsy move."

 **[So he's a liar...what else is new?]** Dagda scoffed, finding the whole thing somewhat amusing. **[Everyone lies for one reason or another. Its simply a question of how far one lies to achieve what they need. We should know something about that, eh kid?]**

Nanashi scowled. Dagda didn't need to remind him. But he was right. He knew that all too well. He could understand Jaune's reasons for doing so, if only a little. Even so, he thought Jaune was also an idiot. In his world, challenging a demon without any form of training or weapons was practically suicidal. You had to have some training, and had to be well prepared. Jaune just rushed in half-cocked, not fully understanding what he was thrusting himself into. He had to know that he would be fighting for his life against Grimm, yet he had no such experience in a fight whatsoever. It was as if he just decided to grab a sword and shield and declare himself a warrior.

A fool, through and through.

"I feel like...I might have made things worse for Jaune." Jonathan said, eyes filled with sadness. "I should have realized something was wrong. I should have known he felt like that."

"Hoi, don't blame yourself." Walter told him. "The way I see it, he still thinks the world of you. He's just angry that he can't live up to the same standards is all."

"Even so, I should've made more of an effort to prepare him. I shouldn't have just let him sit on the sideline."

"If Jaune wants to be a Huntsman, let him do things his own way. We can't keep holding his hand, Jonathan."

"I'm agreeing with Walter on this one." Nanashi said. "The way I see it, he needs to do things on his own. If he gets help from us, it won't mean anything."

"B-but..." Jonathan looked as if he wanted to protest. However, he soon caved in and sighed, dropping his head. "I...suppose you're right."

"So you guys are going to agree with his desire to not ask for help, even though he is horribly inexperienced and lack any and all type of formal combat skill needed to survive his chosen profession to not hurt his pride?" Chris questioned skeptically. "Because if you ask me, he doesn't even have any clue where to start. Leaving him alone like this is going to get him killed in the long run."

"Then if he has any common sense, he's going to realize that and learn." Nanashi replied. "Like Walter said, we can't hold his hand and hope for the best. As they say, experience is the best teacher."

And sadly, he had no idea how true those words would be.

* * *

Jaune realized, maybe an hour after Pyrrha had left, that he had majorly screwed up.

He sat on the edge of the rooftop, staring up at the sky as it was beginning to set, blue eyes brimming with barely contained frustration and anger. Pyrrha trying to suggest training to him, and her bringing Jonathan into it, hadn't exactly sat well with him. Don't misunderstand, however. Jaune loved his brother, and idolized him. He was everything he wanted to be. However, the fact that he was the more skilled and natural had cause some bitter feelings. Feelings Jaune himself was struggling to overcome.

Try as he might, he always felt offended whenever someone compared them. And he hated the feeling with a passion.

It must've been an hour now since Pyrrha left, disheartened after he turned her away. Now, here he was, trying to figure out what he was going to do. He imagined things would still be awkward, and he would not blame Pyrrha if she blabbed his secret. Way he saw it, he deserved it.

"I screwed up..." Jaune moaned, shaking his head. "Pyrrha must be pissed at me. Me and my stupid pride and big mouth. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

 _*Caw!*_

Blinking, Jaune looked up and found a dark colored bird hanging near the roof, beady blue eyes locked on to him. At first, he thought it was a Nevermore, but closer look saw that it was just a simple bird. A raven to be precise. "Beg yer pardon, lad." Jaune saw an old man enter his field of vision, shabby looking and with a frosty white beard and cap. "You mind letting me sit here? It's cold today."

"Huh? Oh, erm, sure..." Not seeing a problem, Jaune nodded. Grateful, the old man sat down next to him, taking out what looked like a thermos. The blonde knight gave him a small look of confusion. What was an old man doing here at Beacon? Was he part of the staff? True, he hadn't remembered all of his teachers, but he would have remembered someone like this. "Sorry, but, who are you?"

"Just a simple old man passing by. No need to be alarmed." The man said as he unscrewed the thermos and poured a cup of steaming hot tea. "Would you care for a cup? It is quite chilly."

"Th-thank you, but I'm alright." Jaune politely refused. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, how'd you get in here? I don't think you're allowed to be here unless you have a pass."

The old man chuckled. "A trade secret. But please, don't tell anyone. I would hate to cause trouble for the people here." He then looked around the campus ground. "Still, what a splendid place. They teach young ones how to wield a blade of any shape and form, all to become warriors... It reminds me of Valhalla."

"Val-what-now?"

"Oh, don't mind me. Just rambling is all. What about you, my boy? Are you training to become a warrior also?"

"Y-yeah, I mean yes!" Jaime answered, yet his tone was unsure. "I mean, I want to be one, that's why I'm here after all..."

"Yet you seem troubled. Is something the matter?" The man asked, as if seeing through his hesitation.

Jaune thought whether to tell the man anything. He didn't really see the harm, but he wasn't also keen on telling the stranger everything. He decided on half truths instead. "Well... I guess you could say I don't really belong here. I can't fight worth a damn. I can swing my sword around, sure, but I don't know how to cut someone down. Hell, when I see blood, I freak out. Huntsmen are supposed to protect people. Not just from Grimm, but also bandits and the White Fang and other things. And my brother? He's good at it all. Me, I..." He sighed and scratched his head. "I don't know. I wish I was even half as good as he is."

"You sound jealous."

"Kind of, but I love my brother. He's everything I wanted to be like, growing up." Well, that, and he saved him from a lot of embarrassment from his sisters. Pigtails were NOT manly. "I don't really belong at Beacon. Maybe I should... I should just pack up and go home."

The man hummed, scratching his chin. "I'd say it would be a waste of talent." he said, surprising Jaune. "Beacon started not too long ago, right? Which means you're jumping the gun."

"How do you figure? I can't fight to save my life. Hell, just today, I got my ass handed to me by some dumb jock with a mace!" Oh god, he hoped Cardin didn't hear him say that. Last thing he needed was to get a wedgie or something.

"Well, it is to be expected, given your lack of formal combat training. From what I could tell, you do not have much fighting experience, yes?"

"No...not really. There were times when my brother and Walter offered me to train with the,, but I would refuse. I wanted to learn and improve on my own."

"But because of that, you did not refine your skills as much as you hoped." the man nodded. "The way I see it, lad, you are like your sword from when it was forged."

"My...sword?" Technically, it wasn't his. It was meant to be given to Jonathan, but he turned it down and allowed Jaune to be its next wielder, provided he trained properly. He felt bad, taking the family heirloom without telling anyone.

"Yes. Before it had seen battle, it was forged from a blacksmith. Born of metal clumps, melted down and refined and hammered. You are an ingot, my body. An ugly little ball that has yet to be refined and made proper into a blade. You can't simply give up just yet. Not when you haven't had the chance to temper your steel."

"But how can I even hope to temper myself if I just keep getting thrown around like a rag doll? As it stands now, I'm a lost cause. I even pushed away my partner when she tried to help me, all because I needed to do it on my own."

"Then you simply need to do better, my boy." the man continued. "You need to try to become better, rather than hope." He took a drink from his thermos, then smiled. "I've heard the Emerald Forest is a good place to train. Quiet and peaceful, so long as you stick to the outer edge of the forest. Less likely to attract Grimm, that way."

"But how will that do me any good? I can't even beat a single person in a sparring match. What chance do I have against actual Grimm?"

The old man shook his head. "Not everything starts by killing a beast. Feel the movements of your blade. Learn what feels right and what doesn't. Swing your arm until you find a style that works perfectly for you. The quickest way to learn." He took another drink from his thermos, then screwed the lid shut before he stood up. "Well, I'll be going. Take my advice to heart, lad!"

"W-wait!" Jaune called out. "Just who are you? And how do you know so much? Why are you giving me advice?" The old man gave Jaune a crooked smile, showing off yellow teeth, a few missing, before he tipped his hat and vanished from sight, the door closing behind him. The blonde stared at the door for a moment before he sighed and shook his head. "What a weird guy..."

The raven that had been watching the two converse cawed again before it flapped its wings and took flight, vanishing into the night sky.

* * *

It had been a few days since his meeting with the Old man. During that time, Jaune had a lot to think about. Things were still awkward between him and Pyrrha. Cardin had still taken to bullying him on occasion, and Jonathan was also avoiding him for some reason. It was strange, but he thought little of it. For now, all he had to think about was how exactly to patch up his relationship with Pyrrha. He really did need to apologize for what he said. His best chance was probably the Forever Fall field trip they were going to be taking next Monday.

Still, he couldn't get the old man's words out of his mind. He had asked the faculty about old men, and the only person they could think of was Professor Port. Unless the man was capable of growing a beard and shedding a few pounds, he sincerely doubted they were the same, which made him curious as to who he could be. Still, he offered some sound advice.

The question remained, should he take it? If the Emerald Forest was a quiet place to train, it could be worth it. Provided he managed to avoid any and all Grimm that could come after him. Then again, what other choice did he have if he wanted to improve?

So he decided to take a gander and follow the old man's advice. The Emerald Forest was quiet, with only the occasional brush of leaves, whistling of animals and singing of birds. The air was somewhat cold, but not uncomfortable. It also did wonders to cool his body whenever it became too hot as he practiced.

At first, Jaune stumbled. He learned that the old man had indeed been correct. Every few swings felt clumsy and awkward, but a few felt more natural. As if it should be the way to move. It was a slow progress, but he was starting to learn. Of course, he also needed to keep himself in shape. The quickest way to do that, naturally, was to train his body. Every morning, he'd wake up for cardio to stay in shape while reading up a book on how to control his Aura. Some lessons the books provided flew over his head, so he made a note to remind him to ask help from someone who did know, like Pyrrha once he mended their relationship, or perhaps someone from Team RWBY.

Sweat clung to his skin as he swung his arm, throwing a few swings and trying his best to take on a stance that felt natural. His feet were parted, his arm was up so he could defend more easily, and his sword was close to his side. For any real practicality, he imagined he was fighting Jonathan. At first, he thought of Cardin so he could have some level of satisfaction, but Jonathan felt more natural, as if anyone could make someone sweat and fight for their lives, it would be his older brother.

And as one might imagine, he was having trouble as to how to face off against someone like that. Even if it was in his imagination. Once he realized it was doing more harm than help, he gave up and decided to take a break.

He sat down and chugged down a water bottle he brought with him. Just what was he thinking? Imagining to fight Johnathan. He's seen his brother fight. He was much more skilled and experience than he was. Once more, the comparisons between the gap in their abilities dampened his confidence. "This is stupid..." Jaune muttered as he doused his head in water. "At this rate, I'll just know how to practice cutting air."

 _*Caw!*_

Alarmed by the sudden screech, Jaune immediately drew Crocea Mors and grew alert. Was that a Grimm?! His eyes scanned the treetops for any sign of a Nevermore. He didn't see any Grimm, but he did see the Raven that accompanied the old man the other night staring at him.

It was sitting on a branch, staring at him. It was a little unnerving, to be frank.

"I wonder what it's deal is..." Jaune wondered before he noticed something in the depths of the forest. In the shadows, down the path, he could faintly see a glowing light. "Huh? What's that?"

Something akin to a whistle rang in his ears. Then it was followed by the cackling boom of thunder. In the next second, the ground underneath Jaune exploded, and he found himself being sent flying.

* * *

"Hm?" Walter paused, in the midst of his daily workout when he felt a tremor rumble beneath his feet. "Anyone feel that just now?"

"An earthquake?" Chris wondered. "Well, least it isn't a Dustquake. Hate those damn things."

Nanashi was silent, instead he stared out the window with narrowed eyes before he whispered, "Dagda, do you feel that?"

 **[Aye.]** the demon answered with a chuckle. **[Looks like Odin's having fun out there. Let's go see what he's up to.]**

* * *

Jaune groaned, his head swimming. "Anyone got the number of the Goliath that hit me?" he asked to no one in particular as he stumbled up to his feet, clutching his head. He was a little unsteady, but relatively unharmed. In front of him, the earth looked as if it had been struck with a case full of Fire Dust. Earth was ripped out from the ground, chunks of debris and rubble littered the ground. It was also scorched, meaning it was fresh. He could also see sparks dancing around the ground where the gouge was. "What in the heck...? What did this?"

 _"Consider me impressed."_ a cool, baritone voice called out to him. _"That was little more than a Zionga. Aura is truly a formidable thing indeed."_

Jaune looked up, finding the owner of the voice. His jaw became unhinged. _'Holy crap that guy is huge!'_

Above him stood a figure much taller than the average human. It was discernibly male due to its slim yet bulk physique. It's body was clad in golden armor with what appeared to be a blue bodysuit underneath. Around his waist was a gold belt with a gemstone in the center. Flowing from his shoulders was a blue cape. His helmet was as gold as his armor, had a pointed helm and ears, and encompassed his entire head, yet depicted a completely human face. The most eye-catching feature about him was his eyes, the right was normal and green, while the left was what appeared to be blue fire.

In the figure's right hand was a spear, the blade on the tip fashioned into a jagged lightning bolt. He raised his left hand, and the raven from before flew up and perched on top of the limb.

"If it weren't for your Aura, you would have been burned to a crisp and incinerated." the golden figure said. "Perhaps there will be something to learn after all."

"Who-who are you?" Jaune asked, now on edge as he prepared his sword and shield. "What are you?!"

"I am Odin. Member of the Deity Clan, and servant to the Godslayer." the man proclaimed before he aimed his spear at Jaune, lightning cackling around the tip of his blade. "Jaune Arc... Show me if you are worthy of Valhalla. Show me you have the strength of a warrior. If you falter for even a second, you will die."

"Va-Valhalla?" Jaune questioned, hearing the familiar term before somewhere. Then it clicked. The raven, Valhalla... "Wait! Are you the old-!"

But he was cut off as Odin shot off another Zionga spell at the teen. Jaune reacted quickly and dove to the side as it passed by, immediately breaking apart the earth and incinerating a few trees. Jaune stared at the sight with an open jaw. _'What the hell kind of Semblance is that?!_ ' he cried. _'If I get hit by that...!'_ Shaking his head, he turned back to Odin and braced himself. He could tell by the menacing aura he was giving off. He was serious about his threat.

If he failed, he was a dead man.

Gritting his teeth, he let out a roar and charged.

* * *

Nanashi stared at the sight with a mix of surprise, disbelief, annoyance and amusement. "...you have got to be kidding."

 **[Well, you can't say the kid doesn't have balls.]** Dadga remarked. **[This should be entertaining to watch.]**

"I can't disagree. But the most likely outcome is that Jaune would die in the end. Death by electrocution or skewered."

 **[Maybe. I'm just more interested as to why Odin chose to approach him of all people.]**

"Who knows?" Nanashi shrugged. "At any rate, we'll watch this play out. If he does get killed, I'll have Cleopatra use Samerecarm. Last thing we need is people asking questions about how Jaune died. Even if demons and magic don't exist in this world, I still don't want to take any chances."

 **[Fair point. But I agree... Let's say how this all plays out.]**

* * *

[Play: RWBY OST - Divide]

The spear came dangerously close to skewering through his head. Jaune dodged, letting it slide over his cheek, only barely. Sparks touched him and he found himself being thrown away. 'What the hell?!' Jaune cried as his back hit the floor. 'The spear only touched me, and I felt like I just got electrocuted!' He quickly pulled himself up and raised his shield in time, blocking a strike. The force behind the blow was enough to make him stagger back, thrown off balance. 'This force...! Even if block, he hits like a truck! I need to dodge! Quick!'

"Too slow." Odin said as he thrusted his palm into Jaune's body, knocking him into a tree. Jaune felt the wind blow out from his sails and coughed haphazardly. "I counted at least forty different ways I could kill you after I threw you off balance." Jaune eventually found his breath and stood shakily on his feet. His arms felt like lead after tanking those previous hits. His knees almost felt like jelly from the shocks. "And I have yet to see you take any precaution. You neglect to anticipate your foe's actions and react accordingly based on their attacks. Such negligence will cost your life in a battle such as this."

The blonde knight glanced at his Scroll, which was attached to his arm. He was in the yellow, but another hit like that, and he was definitely going to feel it. And more. _'I need to get a ready on him, somehow!_ ' he thought. _'C'mon, Jaune! Think!'_

But Odin wasn't about to let him think. "Do not be distracted in the midst of battle!" The All Father of the Norse Pantheon declared as he swung his spear and slammed the shaft into Jaune's exposed side. The force of the attack was enough to send him crashing through a few trees. His Aura took a steep dive into the red after that.

"...ow."

Jaune stood up, no worse for wear. Okay, now was a time to panic. He sucked in a breath, falling back into a stance. 'No thinking fancy. No overthinking stuff. Just do what comes natural.' It was what the old man told him after all. To swing his sword in a way that felt natural.

So he did just that. He stopped thinking like he should, and fought how his body demanded. Odin dashed forward, moving at a speed far faster than any Grimm could hope to replicate and went in for a stab, intending to run the human through. Jaune, in a fluid motion, dodged to the left and threw his shield up against the spear, knocking it off course. The spear struck a tree instead. Following up was a spinning slash, aimed straight for Odin's unprotected back.

The blade did little to scratch the armor. In fact, it was repelled and practically bounced off, surprising him. _'What the?!'_ He didn't have time to think further as he quickly jumped away, avoiding Odin's counterattack by spinning around and swinging the spear, effortlessly tearing it out from the tree. More accurately, Odin tore the tree apart in a single movement when he went to strike. _'What kind of strength does this guy have?! And how the hell am I supposed to hurt him?!'_

"Hm..." Odin stared at him, an eye narrowed. "Slightly better. Could use improvement. Perhaps I should kick things up a notch." He raised a hand, electricity cackling as he aimed his palm at Jaune. "Ziodyne."

A bolt of lightning, much larger and fiercer than before, shot out from his hand and hurtled straight at Jaune. The blonde knight quickly dropped down beneath the bolt to avoid it. It sailed overhead and struck ground much further away.

The result: A massive explosion that put the prior ones to shame. The earth literally shook and broke apart as anything within the blast radius was instantly incinerated.

"...I am so fucked."

* * *

"Okay, that?" Chris groaned. "That was a Dustquake. Who's the idiot fucking around in the Dust Mining Caves?"

"I do not know. But I thought the Dust Mining Caves in Vale were hundreds of miles from Beacon. Surely such a blast couldn't be felt all the way here." Johnathan commented.

"I don't think it's in the caves. It feels way too close to home in my opinion." Walter thought. "But it felt way too strong to be an earthquake."

Chris still felt a little miffed. He wasn't a big fan of Dustquakes, considering that one time in the bathroom. The less said about that, the better. As he was about to put his book away, having finished his reading for class tomorrow, he noticed something unusual. "Hey." he called out to his team. "Is it just me, or is that smoke out there in the distance?"

"Really?" Jonathan leaned in a bit, holding a hand over his eyes. "Hm... I think you're right. That seems to be in the Emerald Forest as well."

"Ah. That must be the cause of those tremors, then." Walter guessed. "Somebody's out thinning out the Grimm. Still, a bit excessive. What the hell are they using, dozen pounds of Fire Dust?"

"Either that, or they're really trigger happy."

* * *

Following Odin's blast of thunder, Jaune had now been forced to focus less on actually hurting the bastard and more more on dodging, less he turned into an electrocuted shishkabob. Such a feat itself was growing to be increasingly difficult as exhaustion and pain were limiting his mobility. It was only through sheer adrenaline that he was able to move out of the way.

Odin was fast. Inhumanely so, and he wouldn't let up for even a second. He continued to strike at him, either with explosive thunder bolts or strikes from his spear. Each strike was more than enough to throw him off balance, and it was only because of the adrenaline pumping in his veins that he was able to move quickly before he was skewered.

Frustration was quickly mounting. There had to be some way he could fight back against this guy. But no matter what he tried, nothing seemed to work. His sword just seemed to bounce off of his armor.

"You've started to slow down." Odin noted as he swung his spear at Jaune. The blond ducked out of the way and side-stepped a thrust, parrying with his shield and going in for a stab, only for Odin to deflect it. "Feeling tired?"

"You..." he panted, sweat pouring down his face. "Wish!"

He wen in for another swing, but Odin deftly parried it and slammed the blunt end of his weapon into his solar plexus. His Aura finally shattered, and Jaune felt his ribs crack. His body was sent flying through the air before he harshly fell back to the earth.

"It seems..." the golden warrior said, swinging his spear before he slowly approached Jaune as he tried to get back up on his feet. "That this is your limit. Such a shame. You have such potential, yet you squander it with useless sentiments such as pride and jealousy. Pride only rusts your blade. And jealousy hampers your swing. Only by tossing such useless things away can you truly hold a blade."

"Then..." Jaune coughed as he struggled to look up. "...what...what can I do?! Aren't heroes...supposed to do this by...themselves? How can I be one...if everyone tries to help me...?"

"You still do not get it." Odin shook his head. "By themselves, a warrior can accomplish little. One ant alone cannot hope to move a mountain. It is only through the strength of comrades and those who share in your ideals that you can hope to overcome insurmountable odds. For example, had you brought your team, you may have stood a chance. The boy with the dual firearms could have masked your presence from the Grimm, the girl with the hammer could have absorbed my electricity and used it for her own purposes, and your Spartan friend could have used her power to control my spear."

Jaune's eyes widened, realizing what Odin meant. He was talking about Semblances...but how could he know all that? Just who in the world was this monstrosity?

"However, because you allowed your own pride to cloud your judgement, you pushed those who could help aid you away." Odin continued. "Do you understand yet, Jaune Arc? Without allies to help you achieve your goals, your power, by itself is meaningless."

"Then...what am I supposed to do...?"

"Unfortunately..." He raised his spear, ready to deliver the final blow. "You will not learn the answer, young warrior, for you have lost that chance."

Time slowed to a crawl as Odin thrusted his spear forward. Jaune watched and closed his eyes, gritting his teeth in regret. _'Dammit... I'm sorry, Pyrrha... I...'_

"JAUNE!"

The spear missed by a tiny margin. The sharp blade barely touched his cheek, creating a shocking jolt that pushed him back just as it had before and threw him aside. It pierced the ground, making Odin turn his head curiously. There, standing off to the side, was none other than Pyrrha, a hand outstretched and her eyes narrowed, Milo and Akuo in hand.

"P-Pyrrha?" Jaune gasped. "What're you doing here?!"

Odin would have asked the same thing, had he not noticed a familiar young man standing far off in the distance, looking on with a small smile and eyes watching with sharp intent. "...I see." he said, forming a little smile of his own. It seemed he had his master's approval. "It appears you have yet another chance to prove yourself, Jaune Arc. Stand, and draw your sword!"

Jaune was surprised by the sudden change of mind, but dare not question it. If he had another chance to fight, he would definitely take it! He forced himself up and readied his blade.

He would for sure as hell apologize to Pyrrha, but after they took this guy down!

* * *

 **[Well, that's a shame. I was actually looking forward to seeing him die.]** Dadga said in spite of his growing anticipation. It was always fun to see how far humans could go if they truly pushed himself. Much as he hated to admit it, camaraderie was often necessary. **[Still, do you really think they'll stand a chance against Odin?]**

"Only one real way to find out." Nanashi answered as he watched. "I'm curious to see how it plays out. Who knows? Maybe Jaune will grow stronger because of this. Not every day you see a Huntsman fight a demon. Even if said demon just so happens to be a member of the Divine Powers and is holding back."

 **[Fair point. If Odin went all out, I doubt they would even survive the first blow. Still, why bother alerting that girl about the fool in danger? I assumed you would've let him fend for himself. If you wanted him to win with the strength of others, then why not his whole team?]**

"Because it's like Odin said. Without allies, one's sole power is meaningless. Pyrrha is his partner, so I figured she would be the best choice given their little dispute the other day. As for not alerting Ren and Nora, having them join would be babying him too much. Jaune still needs to learn his lesson." he reasoned, making Dagda bob his head in understanding. "Besides. I'm sure sometime in the future, he'll come to thank me." This made the demon's eyebrow rise, but said nothing. Instead, they watched on as the duo fought bravely against Odin. For the first time since this whole thing started, Jaune looked like he now stood an actual chance. Odin had purposely allowed his own defensive abilities to lower, making it look like he was growing steadily weaker.

That being said, the Deity was not about to let them have it easy. There would be no fun if he did that. No challenge.

As he watched, Nanashi felt a sensation run over him. It caused him to momentarily stumble, his mind blanking out. For a brief moment, the green scar and markings on his body faded, and his eyes changed to their original dark brown luster before they returned to normal. "What the...?"

 **[Hm? Something wrong kid?]**

"N-no, I..."

Just...what the hell was that? It felt like Dagda's spell to maintain his life fluctuated for just an instant. But that shouldn't be possible.

Stranger still... It felt like his heart had started to beat again, after so long. But that was possible. Not unless Dagda decided to bring him back to life in full, which he doubted. That would not come to pass, not unless he chose to do so after they found their way back home and he took YHVH's place as God.

Even so, it was impossible for that to happen now. Something else took place, but it didn't seem that Dagda noticed, which that in itself was unusual.

Just what the hell was going on?

* * *

-To Become a Hero: END-

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _"What's up with them?"_

 _"Sorry, did you guys happen to see Blake run past here?!"_

 _"Jonathan... Would you mind helping me train with Pyrrha?"_

 _"So, you managed to find one of these Relics?"_

 _"You, who are tainted... You do not belong in His paradise."_

 _Next Time: Unravel the World_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** Oh, holy shit! I got this out on Halloween? Awesome~

So, I bet you guys weren't expecting Odin to come in. As much fun as it would have been to have Cardin be butt monkey again, I decided to change a few things. I won't finish the fight with Odin, as that will be up to your guys' interpretation. Just what could have happened, I wonder?

Either way, I feel like being trained by Odin, and helping him learn to accept help, would be much faster. Besides, being trained by a demon sounds pretty awesome, and I'm sure Jaune would be a hell of a lot stronger for it.

Anyway, if you can tell by the end of this chapter and by the preview, obviously there are a few things that will be changing. I won't say anything more, but what I can say is that Volume 1 of RWBY: Final Judgement is coming to a close. And damn do I have one hell of a fight in mind.

Anyway, tell me what you guys thought about this chapter, especially since I'm putting this puppy on high priority. Also, expect some MASSIVE updates to mine and Daemon's "Of Crystal Shards and Dust" story in the near future. When, I don't know, but what I can tell you is that we're dead set on pumping out chapters for that puppy like nobody's business. Especially with what we have planned for you all!

 _See You~_


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